Published on: June 20, 2014
According to the American Diabetes Association, a total of “25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.” In 2007 alone, more than 70,000 death certificates listed diabetes as the underlying cause of death.
Diabetes is known to result in such severe conditions as blindness, kidney disease, neuropathy, and even necrosis of the limbs (usually legs) that necessitates amputation. With such an extensive list of complications and a skyrocketing death toll, one might think that diabetes would be recognized as a disabling condition in the SSA’s blue book.
So, Does Diabetes Qualify for SSDI Benefits?
The answer to this question is both yes and no. In and of itself, diabetes is not considered sufficiently disabling by the SSA, though it can cause disabling conditions that do qualify. This is because diabetes, when managed through an appropriate treatment regimen, does not typically interfere with a person’s ability to engage in “substantial gainful activity,” i.e. work.
One of the SSA’s most important screening tests is to determine if you can continue to perform the work you had been doing before with reasonable accommodations from your employer that do not cause an undue burden on said employer. For many diabetics, the accommodations that employers have to make are more than reasonable and do not pose an undue burden on their business. Because of this, people with diabetes are not commonly considered disabled.
Over time, however, diabetes can result in conditions that the SSA does recognize as disabling, such as blindness and nervous system disease (neuropathy). In some severe cases, diabetics may require amputation of their extremities, such as their feet.
Yet, not even these horrific symptoms of diabetes may qualify. Why? Because, in order for these severe symptoms to “count” towards the SSA’s assessment of your disabled condition, they have to occur in spite of regular treatment. If these conditions are the result of a failure to maintain a treatment regimen on your part, then the SSA may not consider them when determining whether or not you are disabled.
Qualifying for SSDI with Diabetes
If you have diabetes, and believe that it has caused you to become unable to work, you’ll need to start assembling supporting documentation right away. The more thoroughly you can show the SSA how your diabetes has contributed to making you disabled, the better.
It is especially important to demonstrate that you have been following a physician-approved diabetes treatment regimen to the best of your ability. Things you can use to establish this include your food plan, medication records and exercise schedule, if applicable. If your condition is severe enough to prevent you from exercising, it’s absolutely critical that you have documentation from a reputable physician.
While being diagnosed with diabetes may not qualify for benefits in and of itself, you can still get disability benefits in Florida if you can establish that your diabetes has caused other conditions despite your best efforts to manage the condition.
What to do if You are Denied Benefits for Diabetes
If at first the SSA rejects your disability benefits claim, don’t give up. Get a second opinion from a dedicated disability advocate who can review your case and let you know if you meet the conditions to receive benefits.
Armed with this second opinion, and with a little help for your appeal, you’ll be in a much better position to get the benefits that you need and deserve. Dealing with the SSA might be intimidating, and getting disability benefits for diabetes in Florida might feel like an impossible task, but you should never give up on your rightful claim because of difficulty.
Disability Experts of Florida has the experience and resources to help you get the SSDI benefits you need to get back on your feet.
