This Seems Confusing; How Can I Get Help With My Ssd Application
Its easy to get overwhelmed by all the government rules for Social Security Disability application approval. The most important thing you need to remember is that it comes down to evidence. The more documentation you have from doctors reports, medical records, pharmacy records, etc., the better your chances of receiving SSDI payments.
Gathering everything you need and filling out the application might seem like too much on top of adjusting to your symptoms. It can be helpful to have a Disability lawyer for Parkinson Disease cases by your side. The Disability Help Group in Arizona offers assistance with Social Security Disability Applications, Social Security Disability Appeals, and Social Security Disability Hearings with an administrative law judge . Let us help you gather and organize the needed information.
Our Social Security attorneys walk you through each step of the process and make sure you meet every deadline. Applying for Disability benefits for Parkinson Disease becomes a lot less stressful when youre working with an expert. Contact our legal team in Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson today at 939-4692 or submit our online form to receive a free consultation. Youll only pay for our services if you win your claim.
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Parkinsons Symptoms That Qualify For Disability Benefits
When applying for disability benefits due to Parkinsons Disease, your approval will rest entirely on the severity and extent of your symptoms. Social Security maintains a list of Parkinsons symptoms and their causes that will qualify you to receive the benefits that you need.
To receive automatic qualification for disability benefits, you need to have either chronic mobility issues, such as trouble walking or standing, or a pronounced inability to uses your hands for general or specific tasks.;Whatever symptoms of Parkinsons that youre experiencing, they need to be caused by either stiffness in your limbs, extremely slow movements or a tremor in at least two of your appendages.
Disability Benefits For Veterans With Parkinsons Disease
The minimum VA disability rating for Parkinsons disease is 30%. However, you must consider other important factors that can increase this rating to 100%. While you may be awarded 30%, that rating alone may be incomplete.;
The 30% rating is the starting point. It is vital to make sure the VA completes its rating and evaluates each of your symptoms associated with PD. The VA then should calculate your rating using the combined rating for each symptom. These may include:
- Tremors, rigidity, and slowness of movement in both upper and lower extremities
- Cognitive problems
- Facial muscle paralysis
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Parkinsons Disease And Long Term Disability Insurance Claims
You may have group disability insurance coverage as part of an employee benefits plan, or you may have purchased an individual disability policy as protection against loss of income.
In either case, to receive these long term disability benefits for Parkinsons disease, you need to meet your plan or policys definition of disability. This generally requires that, due to sickness or injury, you are now unable to perform the duties of your own occupation or another occupation.
Your insurance company may not fully understand the impact that Parkinsons disease can have on a person over time, both physically and cognitively. Claim examiners may not appreciate how is it that you have been able to work for years with PD and now suddenly you cannot.
Our attorneys do understand. We also know what it takes to submit a strong LTD insurance claim to prove disability for Parkinsons or file an appeal that will stand up in court.
We prepare for the tactics insurers use to avoid having to pay monthly benefits. Here are a few:
What Medical Conditions Qualify For The Disability Tax Credit
The disability tax credit is different from other disability benefits plans. The above disability plans focus on how your medical condition affects your ability to work. The is not focused on your ability to work. Rather, it focuses on impairment with your daily activities.
Eligibility Criteria for the Disability Tax Credit
- be blind
- be in at least one basic activity of daily living
- be significantly restricted in two or more basic activities of daily living
- need life sustaining therapy
You will automatically qualify for the disability tax credit if your medical condition causes blindness or you to need life sustaining therapy.
To qualify as blind your visual acuity in both eyes must be 20/200 or less or your field of vision in both eyes is 20 degrees or less.
To qualify under the life sustaining therapy requirement, the therapy must be needed to support a vital function, and you must need it at least 3 times per week for an average of 14 hours per week.
The basic activities of daily living include the following:
- Speaking
- Dressing
- Mental functions necessary for everyday life
To qualify for the disability tax credit you must show that you are markedly restricted in one of these areas. A marked restriction means that you are unable to do the BADL or take an inordinate amount of time to do it. This restriction must be present 90% of the time.
Learn the secrets for winning disability benefits, even after a denial
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Get A No Obligation Free Legal Consultation Today
If your Parkinson’s is so severe that you can’t work, but the Social Security Administration denied your SSD claim or if you want help applying for SSD benefits don’t waste any time.
Contact Edgar Snyder & Associates at 412-394-1000, or fill out our free legal consultation form.
Remember, you have only 60 days to file an appeal. Hiring an attorney may mean the difference between whether or not you collect SSD benefits, so get started today.
Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefits
The Canada Pension Plan provides monthly payments to people who contribute to the plan during their working years.
You may be eligible for CPP disability benefits if:
- you contributed to the CPP for a certain number of years
- you’re under 65 years old
- you have a severe and prolonged mental or physical disability
- your disability prevents you from working on a regular basis
The benefits include payments to children of a person with a disability.
Apply as early as possible if you think you’re eligible for CPP disability benefits. Quebec residents may be eligible for a similar program called the Quebec Pension Plan . It may take several months to process your application.
If you applied for CPP or QPP disability benefits and were told that you’re not eligible, you can ask to have your application reviewed or considered again.
Once you reach age 65, your CPP disability benefit will automatically change to regular CPP payments. Your regular CPP payments may be less than the CPP disability payments you got before.
If so, consider:
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More People With Parkinson’s Will Be Eligible
In the past, you could automatically qualify for a Blue Badge if you got the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance , or you receive Personal Independence Payment and scored 8 points or more in the moving around part of your assessment. ; With the changes that will be introduced this month you will also be able to qualify automatically for a Blue Badge if you receive PIP and cannot undertake any journey because it would cause overwhelming psychological distress.
Can You Get Ssi Or Ssdi With Parkinsons Disease
When making disability determinations, SSA medical examiners refer to a massive document called the Listing of Impairments, or Blue Book, which describes medical standards for hundreds of different conditions and illnesses. ;The;Listing is divided into 14 sections by body system affected, with each section further broken down by specific disability. ;The Listing refers to;Parkinsons Disease as Parkinsonian Syndrome, which can be located under Section 11.00 at 11.06.
While many disability listings;in the Blue Book are notoriously detailed and packed with;medical jargon, the description for Parkinsons is fairly straightforward. ;In order to qualify based on Blue Book standards, claimants citing Parkinsons Disease should exhibit the following:
Significant rigidity, bradykinesia, or tremor in two extremities, which, singly or in combination, result in sustained disturbance of gross and dexterous movements, or gait and station.
Translated into simpler terms, this means you should have significant stiffness, trembling, or slow movements in at least two of your limbs. ;This stiffness, trembling, or slow movement should continually interfere with your ability to use your hands, or with your ability to walk and move about with ease.
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How Is Parkinsons Disease Treated
There is no cure for PD, but there are therapies to manage PD symptoms.; For example, Levopoda is considered a very effective and frequently prescribed medication used to treat the symptoms of PD; however long-term use of this drug often causes a side effect known as dyskinesia. Dyskinesia symptoms can prove to be just as, if not more, debilitating than the Parkinsons symptoms Levopoda is prescribed to treat.;Your doctor may be able to combine medications in order to limit side effects.
If your doctor deems it appropriate to your situation, surgery may be a viable option in easing your PD symptoms. The most frequently performed surgical procedure is referred to as Deep Brain Stimulation . DBS is conducted by placing electrodes in specific areas of the brain. These electrodes are connected to a neurostimulator , to continuously deliver electrical impulses in order to reduce PD symptoms.
Since there is no standard trajectory or progression of severity of Parkinsons Disease, each person experiences their own set of symptoms and treatment regimens must be personalized.;PD is highly individualistic: which symptoms you develop, when they manifest, and their severity is unpredictable and unique to you.
How Does Social Security Decide That Im Disabled
Social Security manages two disability programs:; Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income .; Caseworkers refer to Social Securitys Listing of Impairments to decide whether someone is disabled or not.
The Listing includes many diseases and disorders. Also, the Listing states what proof Social Security will need to make its decision.
Under Section 11.06 Neurological, someone might be considered disabled if they meet one of the following criteria for at least three months:
Motor function disorganization in two extremities that make it extremely difficult to stand, balance, walk, or use the upper extremities.
Very limited physical functioning and certain cognitive difficulties.
Of course, Social Security will want to see documentation from your healthcare providers. When you apply, your attorney can help you submit the proper supporting documents.
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Parkinsons Disease Disability Benefits In Canada
Parkinsons disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the bodys nervous system, compromising movement. Symptoms of Parkinsons disease are gradual, often starting with an almost unnoticeable tremor in one hand. Its arguably the most well-known sign of the disorder, though Parkinsons can also cause stiffness or slowing of movement.
Besides the hand tremor calling-card, Parkinsons symptoms can also include:
- Slowed movement
- Speech changes
- Writing changes
A person with Parkinsons nerve cells in the brain slowly break down or die. Many Parkinsons symptoms are due to the loss of those neurons, which produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine. Low levels of dopamine lead to abnormal brain activity, making Parkinsons a potential risk.
The cause of Parkinsons disease is still unknown. Two factors that seem to be linked to the disorder include genetics and environmental triggers .Left untreated, Parkinsons can lead to an array of complications, the most common being:
- Difficulty thinking
- Fatigue
Proving Service Connection For Parkinsons Disease Without A Presumption:
As for any other non-presumptive conditions, veterans with Parkinsons who did not serve in a location listed above may still qualify for VA compensation. You will need to submit additional evidence to show that your exposure was during military service, and link the exposure to your Parkinsons.
Because PD is progressive, the VA does not make veterans wait for the disease to slowly evolve. So medical documentation of symptoms should pave the way to service connection. The first thing you need to provide is documentation that you have symptoms of Parkinsonism.
You will need to provide the VA with your
- Military separation records
- Service treatment records
- Medical evidence of diagnosis and treatment of Parkinsons
Timing and sufficient evidence of Parkinsons are critical, as a timely filing for VA compensation properly ensures that you can start receiving benefits from the date VA has your claim in hand.;
You will also need your physicians opinion saying that your PD was caused by exposure to toxins in service, or by a service-connected traumatic brain injury .; We recommend providing a statement detailing your exposure or event.
Regarding Parkinsons in particular, various instances exist by which veterans may qualify for service-connected VA compensation, including;
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Its Helpful To Hire The Right Attorney
While it may be possible to file a long-term disability insurance claim for Parkinsons Disease on your own, this is not always the best idea. If you are inexperienced with personal injury law, you wont have the best chances of attaining the highest amount of compensation.
Living with Parkinsons Disease can become quite costly over time. Thats why its important you receive as much money for your ailment as possible.
Hiring an experiencedlong-term disability insurance attorney will provide much better chances for you to be able to earn the highest amount of compensation possible. Our attorneys atDabdoub Law Firm are highly skilled in the realm of long-term disability insurance and know how to obtain the compensation you are rightly owed.
Our seasoned team has helped many other people with Parkinsons Disease recover the compensation they deserve, and we can help you, too. Dont hesitate to contact our office with your case right away. After all, it is your health and well-being on the line.
CallDabdoub Law Firm today at 969-0488 to speak with an attorney about your case.
What Medical Conditions Qualify For Long
Most medical conditions can qualify for long-term disability. However, some long-term disability plans will exclude certain medical conditions.
Assuming you dont have an excluded condition, then you can qualify for long-term disability benefits if your medical conditions prevents you from doing your regular work. You wont qualify to apply right away. Most long-term disability plans require you to be continuously disabled for a number of weeks before you are eligible to apply. This called the waiting period or elimination period.
The most common length of the waiting period is 17 weeks, but this can be different for each disability plan.
Most long-term disability plans have a two tier requirement for disability. For the first 2 years you can qualify for benefits if your medical condition prevents you from doing your regular work.
However, after 2 years, you can only qualify for long-term disability benefits if your medical conditions prevents you from doing any gainful work .
Following is an example of a long-term disability requirement fround in a group long-term disablity plan. This is only an example and these requirements and wording vary from plan to plan.
An employee is entitled to payment of a long term disability benefit if the employee presents proof of claim acceptable that:
- the employee became disabled while covered
- total disability has continued beyond the elimination period
- the employee has been folloing appropriate treatment for the disability condition
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When Does A Person Have Disability According To Ada
According to the Americans with Disability Act, a person has a disability if he has some form of physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities. Thus, as Parkinsons disease is progressive, it eventually impairs a person physically. Thus, stage 1 may not be seen as a disability, but with progression it may become a disability under ADA.
Medical Evidence Youll Need
Ensuring a successful application for Social Security disability depends on providing enough medical evidence to your caseworker. Primarily, your records should include a clear Parkinsons diagnosis, side effects that you experience from your treatments and any tests you have received that speak to your condition.
In your application, be as specific as possible about how your Parkinsons affects your day to day life and your ability to work. Outline how often you experience tremors or stiffness, and how limiting these episodes can be. Also, if your symptoms lessen between flare-ups, make sure to document how your medications affect the quality of your life.
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Assistance And Treatment For Parkinsons Disease
Parkinsons disease can be controlled through the use of medication, which needs to be adjusted as the disease progresses. Physical exercise and professional therapy can also help assuage some of the worst effects on daily activities. In addition to healthcare professionals, there are organizations and programs available that can educate and support patients and their caregivers.
- Parkinson Society CanadaThis national organization partners with regional groups and 240 chapters and support groups to provide support, education, and advocacy for Canadians with the disease. It also helps fund research in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
- Canadian Disability Tax CreditThose with Parkinsons disease may qualify for a Canadian disability tax credit. The disability tax credit is intended to help with extra expenses caused by the condition and to help sufferers lead a more normal, productive life.
- PhysiciansSince there is no cure, ongoing professional medical care is necessary. Parkinsons patients frequently need their medications adjusted or changed as the disease alters over time. Some patients also may benefit from surgery.
- Physical, Speech, and Occupational TherapySeveral different therapies can improve the quality of life for Parkinsons patients. Physical therapy helps with mobility and flexibility. Occupational therapy improves the performance of daily chores. Speech therapy aids in voice control.