Crohn’s Disease is an inflammatory condition that wreaks havoc on many people’s lives, which leaves people wondering if they could potentially receive Social Security Disability benefits. Although the answer may vary from case to case, the general answer is yes, as long as you meet certain criteria, which Social Security lawyers can advise you on.
What is Crohn’s Disease?
This disease causes inflammation within the intestines and entire gastrointestinal tract, leading to extreme discomfort, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fevers, severe weight loss, along with other serious health complications.
Individuals with Crohn’s are also more likely to develop additional health problems outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as arthritis, kidney disease, in addition to some eye and skin disorders. Therefore, it is an extremely serious medical condition and goes much further than just an upset stomach.
If you are considering applying for Social Security Disability Benefits, you may qualify based on your Chron’s related symptoms. In this case, it is always a good idea to get in touch with a Social Security disability lawyer in your area to prepare your case for the highest probability of success.
Social Security Benefits evaluation Process
As soon as you apply to receive Social Security Benefits, your application will be subject to a multi-level evaluation process carried out by the Social Security Administration (SSA).
One of the first criteria is whether or not the condition will last for at least one year. Since, unfortunately, Chron’s Disease is chronic and incurable, it will last a lifetime. This can easily be proven with any tests your doctors carried out to diagnose you with Crohn’s Disease. Next, to determine whether your Chron’s is in line with the SSA’s general definition of disability, you must prove that your condition impacts your ability to carry out simple and daily work activities.
Finally, the SSA will compare your specific symptoms of Chron’s Disease to the Digestive System segment of the SSA’s Listing of Impairments. Depending on the seriousness of your condition and which symptoms you experience regularly, you can ask the SSA to use different parts of the listing as the source of comparison. The standard is listing 5.06 which covers Inflammatory Bowel Disease. In order to qualify for benefits, you must have at least one of the conditions listed in the respective section of the listing.
Chron’s Disease and SSA listing 5.06
To fall under the general category of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, you must be diagnosed with IBD, or a similar condition and have medical proof of suffering from a combination of the following symptoms:
- Bowel Obstruction – prove by medical imaging, proof of surgery related to the bowels or intestine compression. An additional requirement is that this obstruction happened at least on two separate occasions, 60 days apart, during a 6-month period. This condition alone could help you qualify for Social Security Benefits
For the following conditions, you must have experience two different symptoms that occurred twice during a 6-month period.
- Extreme anemia
- Abdominal pain or cramping that cannot be controlled, even with prescribed medicine
- Perineal disease with a draining abscess and pain that cannot be brought under control
- Weight loss accounting for 10% of your starting weight
- Necessary feeding tube
If your situation does not meet these criteria, your Social Security Benefits lawyer may suggest comparing your condition to listing 5.08.
Chron’s Disease and SSA listing 5.08
Listing 5.08 centers around extreme weight loss due to a digestive disorder like Crohn’s.
To qualify under this listing you must:
- Have suffered from excessive weight loss, even though you adhered to a doctor’s treatments
- Your BMI is now less than 17.50
- Your weight was measured twice during a six-month period, 60 days apart
I don’t match these listings. Do I still have a chance to receive benefits?
Even if you cannot prove the conditions found in either listing, you could potentially still qualify for disability benefits, although the process will be more difficult. If you, along with an experienced Social Security lawyer can make a strong case directly relating your medical condition with your inability to work, you have a chance.
