People suffering from aplastic anemia treated by stem cell or bone marrow transplant may be eligible for Social Security Disability. However, not everyone who has the condition will qualify for disability.
When your body stops producing the amount of white blood cells that you need, it can lead to uncontrolled bleeding, extreme fatigue, and the likelihood that you will catch more illnesses. In other words, you’ll be tired, sick, and bleeding – not a combination that’s going to be helpful in getting or keeping a job.
This is exactly what those who suffer from aplastic anemias have to deal with, and sometimes the treatment can be just as trying, involving stem cell transplants and blood transfusions. For all of these reasons and more, the Social Security Administration has decided to include this condition in their Listings of Impairments.
What does that mean? The Listings of Impairments is a vast disability guidebook that defines each and every disabling condition recognized by the SSA, and the exact medical criteria that people need to meet. If you can prove that you have a condition and meet the particular requirements for that issue, you automatically qualify for Social Security disability benefits.
In this case, the SSA Listing for Aplastic Anemia is 7.17 – Hematological disorders treated by bone marrow or stem cell transplantation.
Those who don’t meet the requirements still have another path by which they can receive benefits. This 2nd path is a five-step evaluation process the SSA uses to decide whether you are disabled. But matching a listing is a much simpler, straightforward way to go. Because of this, you should attempt to get Social Security disability benefits this way first.
Criteria for Getting Social Security Disability Benefits for Aplastic Anemia
The SSA offers benefits for those who suffer from aplastic anemias if the issue has necessitated a stem cell or bone marrow transplant. If you get a transplant, you are automatically considered disabled for the 12 months following the surgery. After that, you still may be eligible for benefits if you have some kind of residual impairment, but you will need to be evaluated for that specific impairment.
What can you do to prove to the SSA that you fall into this category? Take tests. Here are several that have been approved by the SSA for this condition.
- Biopsy
- Bone marrow aspiration and biopsy
- Bone marrow scan
- Hematocrit
- Human leukocyte antigens
Getting positive results on any of these tests should be a huge boost to your case.
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The Secondary Path to Disability Benefits for Aplastic Anemia
Matching a listing may be the most straightforward way to get benefits, but it certainly isn’t the only approach. Those who are unable to meet the SSA’s criteria for their listing can still attempt to get benefits for aplastic anemia by proving that their medical issue is equivalent in severity to an impairment that is already recognized.
If you decide to do this, you should work with a knowledgeable SSD attorney with a track record of success in these types of disability cases. Together, your job will be to use the Five Step Sequential Evaluation Process to prove to the SSA that your condition has kept you from being able to work for 12 months or longer. Those who are able to do this will be awarded the disability benefits that they need to survive.
The basis for winning your SSDI claim is the accurate preparation of the application and the detailed presentation of your medical evidence of disability. See What We Do to Win Your SSDI Case!
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