Individuals with disabilities may be eligible for one of two federal disability benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Although the two programs differ in many ways, they are both provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and are intended to assist a disabled person who is unable to work a job full-time. There are many types of disorders that the SSA considers valid as long as they match a certain level of severity. These disorders range from impairments in the musculoskeletal system to problems with anxiety and depression.
Musculoskeletal
This includes disorders of the spine (including ligaments and discs that make up the spine), abnormalities of major joints in any extremity, fractures, soft tissue injuries, and amputation.
Special Senses and Speech
Blindness, deafness, and loss of speech.
Respiratory Disorders
Asthma, Cystic Fibrosis, lung transplant.
Cardiovascular System
Chronic heart failure, recurrent arrhythmia, aneurysm of aorta or major branches.
Digestive System
Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging, chronic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease.
Genitourinary Disorders
Chronic kidney disease and dialysis.
Hematological Disorders
Sickle Cell Anemia, inability to form blood clots, and disorders of bone marrow failure.
Skin Disorders
Dermatitis, Ichthyosis, and Bullous diseases.
Endocrine Disorders
Any disorder that causes hyperfunction (producing too much of a specific hormone) or hypofunction (producing too little of a specific hormone) for any of the glands in the Endocrine System. These glands include the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pancreas.
Congenital Disorders that Affect Multiple Body Systems
These are disorders like Down Syndrome that can impair physical or intellectual development as well as cause heart disease, impaired vision, hearing problems, and other conditions.
Neurological Disorders
Epilepsy, Parkinson’s Disease, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, and traumatic brain injury.
Mental Disorders
These are disorders like schizophrenia, depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders, and autism. They also include neurocognitive disorders which are characterized by a significant cognitive decline in areas such as memory, language, and social recognition.
Cancer
All of the locations cancer can be present in the body are listed here.
Immune System Disorders
Lupus, HIV, Scleroderma, and Polymyositis.
A Few Definitions
The definition of a disorder is “the inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s).” The law’s definition of a medically determinable impairment is, “An impairment that results from anatomical, physiological, or psychological abnormalities that can be shown by medically acceptable clinical and laboratory diagnostic techniques.”
If you have questions about how your disability may qualify for SSDI or SSI, call Drew L. Johnson, P.C. Attorneys At Law, at (541) 434-6466.
