People may qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits due to a variety of different conditions. Medical issues ranging from terminal ailments to progressive neurological conditions can potentially help workers qualify for SSDI benefits.
SSDI benefits can help replace the income a worker loses when a medical condition prevents them from maintaining gainful employment for 12 months or longer. For many SSDI applicants, the process of establishing the impact of a condition is straightforward. They have a specific diagnosis and medical documentation affirming the way that the condition presents in their case. They submit medical records affirming their diagnosis and the impact it has on their daily life.
Other times, people may need benefits while in more complicated medical situations. Sometimes, people have multiple medical conditions that present symptoms at the same time. Even medical issues that do not qualify on their own can become severe enough to warrant SSDI benefits because of other medical challenges.
How can people who have multiple, potentially overlapping medical conditions handle applying for SSDI benefits?
The review process is different
Those applying for SSDI benefits based on overlapping medical challenges often need extensive medical documentation. Those who have multiple qualifying conditions do not qualify for higher benefits rates than those with a single medical condition.
The SSA does not consider each medical issue separately. Instead, the review process specifically involves looking at the totality of the applicant’s circumstances. The combined effect of the conditions needs to be significant enough to prevent the individual from maintaining gainful employment. In cases where neither condition qualifies on its own, documentation of how the conditions impact each other may be crucial for the success of the application.
Negative medical consequences generally need to persist for 12 months or longer for the worker to qualify for benefits. Typically, the impact of the condition must be severe enough to prevent the worker from maintaining any sort of gainful employment, not just performing their current job.
Navigating the SSDI benefits application process can be very challenging, especially when people have unusual circumstances. Applicants who have support throughout the application process may be able to improve their likelihood of obtaining benefits, especially when they have multiple conditions complicating the review of their medical circumstances.
