Undergoing a liver transplant can lead to life-threatening health complications. The risks associated with the medical procedure and the side effects of the drugs that are required to ensure the body accepts the new liver can prevent a patient from working for an extended period. Even the best case scenario for recovering from a liver transplant is six months.
If you have undergone a liver transplant, you might qualify for financial assistance. Let’s review the five signs that you will be approved for disability.
Sign #1: Earn Enough Work Credits
In addition to meeting the definition of a disability as established by the Social Security Administration (SSA), you must also earn enough work credits that are based on your annual income or self-employment wages. For 2021, you earn one work credit for every $1,470 generated in wages.
When you make $11,760 in 2021, you earn eight work credits. The number of work credits that qualify you for Social Security disability benefits depends on your age when you became disabled.
Sign #2: Present Convincing Medical Evidence
It is also important to submit the results of diagnostic tests that the team of medical professionals ran after the transplant. Diagnostic documents let the team of medical examiners from the SSA know what symptoms make it difficult, if not impossible for you to return to work.
Sign #3: Out of Work for One Year
Another hurdle to beat for getting disability benefits approved for a liver transplant is to prove that you have not worked for at least the previous 12 months. Timekeeping records from your employer provide the SSA with a paper trail.
You should also submit copies of your bank statements before and after the liver transplant. Copies of bank statements should show a dramatic drop in income after the liver transplant.
Sign #4: Meet the Medical Criteria Set by the SSA
The SSA uses a guide called the Blue Book to determine eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. Most medical conditions listed in the Blue Book require disability benefits applicants to meet certain medical criteria.
However, for a liver transplant, you do not need to meet any additional criteria other than proving that you went through a liver transplant. Section 5.09 of the Blue Book states that every liver transplant patient qualifies for Social Security disability benefits for at least one year after a transplant.
Sign #5: Schedule a Free Case Evaluation
Although a liver transplant does not require you to meet the medical criteria presented in the SSA Blue Book, contacting a Social Security disability attorney is a good idea for several reasons. First, your lawyer can help you gather and organize the medical evidence you need to persuade the SSA that you are disabled.
Second, filing a claim involves meeting a few deadlines, which an attorney may ensure that you accomplish. Finally, a Social Security lawyer might be able to find the right healthcare professionals that can help you recover from a liver transplant.
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