If you’ve investigated disability benefits at all, you know that the Social Security Administration (SSA) rules for disability are strict. Even if you’re suffering from a serious heart condition, it may not be severe enough to grant you disability benefits. Depending on your condition, suffering from a heart attack may impact your eligibility for disability benefits, but it depends on your unique circumstances and the severity of your heart condition.
While nearly any heart condition has the potential to be disruptive, in order to qualify for disability benefits, your condition must be severe enough to prevent you from working for a continuous twelve (12) months. After experiencing a heart attack, many people regain much of their functional abilities within weeks, after going through treatment and possibly cardiac rehab. For that reason, a heart attack alone may not prevent you from working for long enough to meet the disability requirements.
However, it may be that after having a heart attack you experience even more limitations than before. If that’s the case, even if you didn’t qualify prior to your heart attack, you might now.
There are several other heart conditions that often precede a heart attack, such as coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease is one of the leading precursors of a heart attack, but in order to qualify for benefits under this listing, you must have severe symptoms of ischemic heart disease, despite following prescribed treatments, or one of the following:
- Exercise intolerance; extreme fatigue after minimal exertion
- Three distinct episodes of vascular narrowing or blockages that have required surgical intervention, angioplasty, or catheterization
- A 50% to 70% reduction of a major coronary vessel, one that can’t be bypassed surgically
Cardiac conditions such as coronary artery disease can cause major disruptions to your work life, however if your symptoms are not severe enough to qualify for benefits prior to a heart attack, they might compound after experiencing a heart attack.
Applying for disability benefits takes a lot of work, but a lawyer who specializes in disability claims can assist you with submitting a thorough application, gathering evidence, and arguing eligibility through appeals, if necessary. Contact Molly Burke Law Office today to set up your free, no-obligation consultation. If you have a heart condition that is preventing you from working, we’d be happy to help you navigate through the Social Security disability process.