This year alone, millions of hard-working Americans will be faced with a disabling condition that prevents them from performing substantial gainful work activity. These individuals are used to working full time and bringing home paychecks on a regular basis. Once a disability arises, these paychecks stop. The resulting financial stress can wreak havoc on an individual's ability to provide for themselves and their families. It is in situations such as these that Social Security Disability benefits are supposed to help. Unfortunately, very few disabled workers are able to get Social Security Disability benefits as quickly as they need to.
Many Americans are surprised to find out that it can take two years or more before a disabled worker receives their first disability payment from the Social Security Administration. This is largely due to the fact that the majority of disability claims are denied during the initial stage of the application process, resulting in the need for a very long Social Security Disability appeal.
Many people want to know what happens when an individual cannot possibly wait two years or more for Social Security Disability benefits to begin. What happens when these disabled workers suffer from disabling conditions that are so severe that they warrant immediate attention from the Social Security Administration?
The Social Security Administration addressed this issue by implementing the Compassionate Allowances Listings in 2008. Under the Compassionate Allowances guidelines, certain individuals can qualify for Social Security Disability benefits in a matter of weeks instead of waiting months or years before benefits begin. Up until recently there were 88 conditions that qualified an individual for processing under these guidelines. In 2011 the SSA added 12 more conditions to the Compassionate Allowances Listings. Individuals who have suffered heart transplant graft failure are now included in this list of conditions that qualify for expedited disability claim processing.
If you have suffered from heart transplant graft failure and are wondering how the SSA reviews claims that are based on this condition, the following information will help you understand the disability claim process and how you can increase your chances of being approved for Social Security Disability benefits quickly under the Compassionate Allowances guidelines.
Heart Transplant Graft Failure Condition and Symptoms
When a heart transplant patient receives a new heart, there is always a risk that the individual's immune system will reject the heart they have received. This happens because the patient's immune system identifies the new heart as a foreign object within the body and tries to destroy the organ.
Rejection of a transplanted heart is one of the leading reasons that people die within the first year after an organ transplant and primary graft dysfunction is the leading cause of death within the first month. People who undergo a heart transplant are closely monitored for signs that their body is rejecting the organ.
In some cases, a patient's new heart may also fail if they develop a condition called cardiac allograft vasculopathy, also known as CAV. This condition develops when the walls of the arteries within the new heart thicken, impairing heart function. This condition, if developed, will eventually lead to heart failure and death.
All heart transplant patients are given immunosuppressive drugs to prevent the rejection of a new heart, however, these drugs cannot guarantee that the body will accept the new heart without complication. Symptoms of heart transplant failure can vary, although common symptoms include a feeling of general illness, pain and swelling in the chest and fever.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Heart Transplant Graft Failure
If you have received a heart transplant and have suffered heart transplant graft failure, it is important to understand that even though the condition does fall within the Compassionate Allowances guidelines that have been set forth by the SSA, it does not mean that your claim for Social Security Disability benefits will automatically be approved. In order to receive expedited approval of your benefits you must fill out the claim forms properly and provide the SSA with sufficient medical evidence to support your disability claim.
When filling out the disability claim forms, make sure that you fill out each form completely. Do not leave a single question unanswered and when you do address the questions that are on the forms, provide thorough and detailed answers. The more information you provide, the easier it will be for the adjudicator who is reviewing your file to understand how your condition qualifies your claim for processing under the SSA's Compassionate Allowances guidelines.
When submitting your Social Security Disability claim, you must also provide sufficient medical evidence. When filing a claim due to heart transplant graft failure, the SSA will need to see a clinical description of the findings from your treating physician, cardiology consultation reports, imaging studies of the heart, and blood laboratory testing results.
Heart Transplant Graft Failure and Your Social Security Disability Case
While the Social Security Administration does not usually deny Social Security Disability claims that are based on Compassionate Allowances Listings, it has been known to happen. This usually occurs due to a lack of sufficient medical evidence or improperly completed disability claim forms.
If you want to increase your chances of being awarded Social Security Disability benefits during the initial stage of the disability claim process, you should consider the services of a qualified Social Security Disability advocate or attorney. These professionals can help you fill out your claim forms properly and will make sure that you provide the SSA with sufficient medical evidence to support your disability application.
