If you have found out that you have heart disease, it can be a devastating moment in your life. Perhaps you were having difficulty breathing or felt pain in your chest. Maybe you had a heart attack and found out about the disease after the fact.
Whatever the situation is, if you are impaired by this new diagnosis, you may be able to pursue Social Security Disability benefits. A cardiovascular impairment affects the way a body’s heart and circulatory system works. The Social Security Administration recognizes both congenital and acquired heart-related illnesses, but they must be severe if you want to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
What kinds of documents would the Social Security Administration like to prove that this condition has caused a disability?
If you want to show that this condition has disabled you and limited or eliminated your ability to work, then you will need to provide documents such as:
- Your detailed history of medical exams
- Detailed laboratory studies
- Detailed information on treatments and your response to those treatments
- At least three months of observations (unless your current condition is so obviously debilitating that the SSA could make a determination without that history of observation).
If you haven’t been receiving ongoing medical treatment and attention for this condition, then the Social Security Administration will make its decisions based on any current medical information that you have. You must receive some form of treatment because, without it, there is no way to show that the impairment meets the criteria necessary for Social Security Disability. If you have questions about this or have had your SSD application denied, your attorney can talk to you more about the steps to take next.