Does having a heart attack mean I will qualify for SSD?
Published on November 16th, 2018 by Eric Slepian
Having a heart attack does not necessarily mean that a person will qualify for Social Security Disability benefits, but it could. The first thing to know is that having a heart attack alone or having bypass surgery does not automatically qualify an individual for disability benefits.
The Social Security Administration makes it much more difficult to qualify for benefits than that.
Essentially, the SSA knows that many people have heart attacks and/or bypass surgery and go on to live long and healthy lives after having time to recover.
Disability benefits are intended for people who are not able to work for 12 months or longer, and while having a heart attack is a significant and life-threatening health condition, the SSA wants to know that it will result in the applicant being out of work for at least 12 months.
Therefore, the SSA insists that a person show that he or she cannot work any job because of heart disease and the limited ability to exert himself or herself, and that limitation is expected to last 12 months or longer.
The specific symptoms that must be proven are found in Listing 4.04 of the Disability Evaluation Under Social Security, also known as the Blue Book Listing.
Notably, a heart attack itself, or myocardial infarction, is not listed as a qualifying symptom. However, many of the conditions that go along with heart attacks or underlying causes of heart attacks are listed as symptoms.
A lot of medical terminology and assessment go into an SSD determination, which is why many applicants find that they need an experienced disability lawyer to help with the initial application and/or appeal.
A heart attack is often an expensive and stressful thing to go through. Getting proper assistance during the SSD application and appeal process can help relieve additional stress and secure a positive outcome.
