When you apply for Social Security disability benefits due to any disorder of the genitourinary system (i.e., genitals, urinary tract, kidneys), your claim will be evaluated based on the guidelines in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book, Section 6. The SSA representative assigned to your claim will first evaluate whether the medical evidence in your claim matches the conditions outlined in the Blue Book. If your condition does not meet the requirements laid out in the Blue Book, you may still qualify for benefits, but additional evaluation of your residual functioning will be needed.
The same general guidelines are used to evaluate any kind of renal disease. Common genitourinary conditions which fall under this section of the Blue Book include:
- Chronic glomerulonephritis
- Chronic obstructive uropathy
- Diabetic nephropathy
- Hereditary nephropathies, such as Alport Syndrome
- Hypertensive renal vascular disease
Each of these conditions, and several less common genitourinary conditions, uses the same basic guidelines to determine whether you qualify as completely disabled. Nephrotic Syndrome due to Glomerular Disease has a separate set of requirements and is considered a bit differently. There are five types of evidence generally considered in genitourinary conditions. These include:
- Medical history. This should include all treatments and your response to them. The laboratory and/or clinical record need to show that your condition is getting worse. They will particularly look at your levels of serum creatinine. In most cases, the SSA requires at least three months’ worth of records to approve a disability claim.
- Records of your renal function before starting dialysis.
- Medical evidence of nephrotic syndrome.
- Copies of any related biopsies and the examination of all related specimens. A statement by the medical professionals who conducted the tests can be substituted if the actual examination findings aren’t available, but should contain a thorough description of the procedures’’ results.
- A complete accounting of all types of therapy attempted, your response to the therapies, and all side effects of the therapies or treatments. This should include how long the treatments and their effects are expected to last.
Nephrotic Syndrome and Kidney Transplants
Nephrotic syndrome and kidney transplants are handled a bit differently than other genitourinary conditions. Kidney transplant recipients will automatically be considered disabled for a year following their transplant. After the initial year, they will be evaluated periodically to determine whether they can reasonably be expected to return to work. Those with nephrotic syndrome which persists three months or more despite following prescribed therapies are approved if the serum albumin and proteinuria levels fall within SSA guidelines. For a free evaluation of your disability claim by an disability attorney or advocate in your area, please fill out the free evaluation form located throughout the site.
Other Conditions that are evaluated under the genitourinary conditions section:
