There are many medical conditions that can leave a person unable to work or even to take care of themselves and their home. Some of these conditions are progressive, meaning that they will get worse over time. Many progressive conditions are eventually terminal, meaning they will persist until death and may contribute to someone dying.
Lou Gehrig’s disease, also sometimes called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS, is among the more severe and debilitating conditions that a person can suffer from. If your doctor has recently diagnosed you with Lou Gehrig’s Disease, you may know that you won’t be able to continue working your job for much longer, if you can still work at all.
Will your diagnosis qualify you for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits?
Lou Gehrig’s disease is generally a qualifying condition
In order for a medical condition to qualify someone for Social Security Disability benefits, it has to be severe and persist for a year or longer. Lou Gehrig’s disease absolutely meets both of these criteria. Even if the person doesn’t have severe symptoms initially, the condition will progress, gradually impacting more and more of a person’s daily life and ability to function.
Because of the known qualities of this medical condition and the fact that there are no known cures available, those with a valid diagnosis with ALS will likely qualify for SSDI benefits with their initial application or upon appeal if they don’t have adequate medical documentation initially.
In fact, Lou Gehrig’s disease is one of the conditions that qualify for the waiver of certain requirements, like the need to wait two years after an approval for someone to receive Medicaid.
Those suffering from debilitating conditions may need help navigating benefits
Adjusting to life with ever-increasing restrictions on your mobility can be difficult enough on its own without needing to handle the kind of paperwork associated with SSDI benefits. Provided that you have made enough lifetime contributions to qualify, you shouldn’t need to focus your energy on getting the benefits you deserve because of your lifetime payroll contributions.
The right help will not only increase your chances of success when you file a claim but also allow you to focus more on your needs and your family instead of on paperwork after your diagnosis.
