Does Diabetes Qualify For Social Security Disability Benefits?

Diabetes can be debilitating, making it difficult for sufferers to work and support themselves. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides disability benefits for those unable to work due to their condition.

This article will discuss diabetes, what it is, how to apply for disability benefits if you have it, and why it’s crucial to get assistance from a social security disability law firm in Florida if you do.

What Is Diabetes? 

A person is said to have diabetes if their blood sugar or glucose levels are unusually high.

All body cells need glucose to produce energy, and the pancreas makes insulin to aid the body’s absorption of additional glucose. 

Because high blood glucose levels indicate that the body is not producing enough insulin or is not functioning properly to help with glucose absorption, they are an indication of diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Diabetes comes in three different forms:

Diabetes of type 1 or “juvenile,” type 2, “adult-onset,” or gestational diabetes.

The medical term for both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes is diabetes mellitus. If a person has increased blood glucose levels, a sign of pre-diabetes, they are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes in the future.

The extremely serious condition known as diabetes can have some devastating side effects, including high blood pressure, eye and nerve damage, kidney and heart problems, blindness, and stroke. 

Due to inadequate circulation, a long-term diabetic may also need to amputate limbs. Therefore, it is only natural that many individuals are curious about whether diabetes is considered a disability.

Symptoms

Some symptoms frequently co-occur to suggest diabetes. Undiagnosed diabetics typically go through the following:

• persistent urges to urinate, especially when they are accompanied by intense thirst; 
• chronic hunger, especially between meals; 
• exhaustion;  
• weight loss; or 
• an overall sense of irritation

Many people with diabetes mention concerns about genital irritation, fungal infections, and dry, itchy skin. Vision blurring and tingling or numbness in the feet are other symptoms. 

Last but not least, many diabetics’ wounds, skin abrasions, or sores require a long time to heal.

Diagnosing diabetes can be done using three different blood tests.

• Without any fasting, a random plasma glucose test examines blood sugar.
• A fasting plasma glucose test is conducted after an eight-hour fast. 
• An oral glucose tolerance test is carried out after an eight-hour fast followed by drinking a beverage with glucose.

A random plasma glucose test cannot detect pre-diabetes. Additional tests must be performed on the patient to confirm the diagnosis if the test findings suggest the presence of a diabetic condition.

A social security disability application is submitted following a diabetes diagnosis, and one can navigate through the process with the help of a social security disability attorney in Cape Coral, FL.

Is Diabetes, Therefore, A Disability?

Diabetes is a condition that might qualify a person for Social Security Disability, according to the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) impairment listing manual, known as the “Blue Book.” 

However, the SSA does not differentiate between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes, and the classification of Diabetes does not emphasize any serious health issues that the condition can cause.

Since the SSA’s qualification criteria focus on the actual health issues that affect an applicant’s ability to function in work and basic tasks rather than specifically on a Diabetes diagnosis, many of these serious health issues are fortunately listed in the Blue Book as separate disabling conditions.

Impairments That Qualify For Diabetes Disability Benefits

Your doctor must determine that you have diabetes mellitus (Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes) and at least one of the following conditions for you to be eligible for disability payments based on diabetes:

• Neuropathy: A neurological disorder that must considerably impair both of a person’s extremities for a “sustained disruption” in walking or even just standing.
• Acidosis: Blood tests can detect acidosis, an abnormal rise in physiological fluid acidity that happens at least twice every two months.
• Diabetic Retinopathy: This condition damages the blood vessels in the retina and causes substantial vision loss, particularly in the peripheral range, in the better of the two eyes. If the disability is severe enough, one must be practically blind to develop this disease.

Conclusion 

Usually, diabetes-related disability claims are only accepted if the disease has also contributed to one or more disabling conditions. 

Suppose it is determined that the severity of your conditions makes it difficult for you to perform any new type of job or to return to your old employment. In that case, you will likely be granted Social Security Disability payments as a medical-vocational allowance. 

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has specific requirements that must be met to qualify for benefits, and a knowledgeable lawyer can help you navigate the process. Social security disability attorneys can also help you if your claim has been denied by appealing the decision and gathering evidence to support your case.

Avard Law is a South Florida-based practice specializing in Social Security Disability, Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Veterans’ Benefits. Speak to social security disability attorneys today!