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How Does the SSA view Liver Cirrhosis?

How Does the SSA view Liver Cirrhosis?

If you are unable to work due to irreparable damage caused by alcoholic cirrhosis (also known as alcoholic liver disease), you may be eligible for disability benefits.

Alcoholic Cirrhosis | What is Alcoholic Liver Disease?

Alcoholic cirrhosis is a liver condition induced by continuous alcohol intake. The liver becomes inflamed as a result of alcohol misuse, and the continuous inflammation eventually leads to scarring and cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is characterized by impaired liver function as a result of scarring.

Alcoholic cirrhosis symptoms frequently arise gradually. Swelling of the hands and abdomen, impotence, difficulties thinking, pale stools, stomach discomfort, weight loss, and yellowing of the skin and eyes are all symptoms. Cirrhosis is generally diagnosed by a liver biopsy.

Depending on the severity of your cirrhosis, treatment may involve medication, dietary modifications, and shunts. If your alcoholic cirrhosis advances to end-stage liver disease, a liver transplant is likely. (A liver transplant entitles you to one year of disability benefits).

How Does the SSA view Liver Cirrhosis?

Before determining whether your individual medical condition is debilitating, the Social Security Administration (SSA) goes through various preliminary stages with each application. If you are not working or are not working beyond the Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) threshold (for 2022, the monthly amount is $1,358), you may be eligible for disability payments due to your alcoholic cirrhosis. That instance, if you earn $1,358 or more per month, the SSA will automatically refuse your disability claim. You should expect your alcoholic cirrhosis to endure at least a year (or result in death). Because of the chronic nature of cirrhosis, this criterion should be straightforward to meet. Your alcoholic cirrhosis must also be a "severe" impairment, which means it has a greater than minor influence.

The SSA will next examine your alcoholic cirrhosis to determine if it matches or equals the requirements of one of the conditions listed in its official Listing of Impairments. If your alcoholic cirrhosis meets the requirements for one of the illnesses listed, you will be immediately granted for disability.

Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis to Qualify Under SSA Blue Book

If you have alcoholic cirrhosis, you may be eligible for disability benefits right away under [Listing 5.05], Chronic Liver Disease. [Listing 5.05] addresses chronic liver illnesses, hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. Cirrhosis must be severe to meet the listing criteria for this ailment.

You must have had one of the following conditions, with or without the consequences listed in the impairment listings:

  • -Ascites (excess fluid in the peritoneal cavity) or
  • -Gastrointestinal hemorrhage necessitating blood transfusion
  • -Hydrothorax (fluid in the pleural cavity)
  • -Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis,
  • -Hepatopulmonary syndrome,
  • -Hepatic encephalopathy, or
  • -End-stage liver disease

Listing 5.05's severity requirements are complicated. To fulfil the requirement for peritonitis, for example, your peritoneal fluid must have a neutrophil count of 250 cells/mm3 or above. Consult your treating physician to see if you have had any of the aforementioned issues to the amount necessary to fulfil the SSA's impairment classification.

Alcoholic Determination by DDS

If you continue to drink, the SSA adds a drug addiction/alcoholism (DAA) finding to its examination procedure. The notion is that if you continue to drink and it contributes to your impairments, you will not be eligible for SSDI or SSI benefits, even if you are handicapped.

What if you don't meet the Blue Book Listing for Alcoholic Liver Cirrhosis?

It is crucial to provide the SSA with a statement from your treating physician explaining his or her current opinion of your physical RFC. The RFC should cover every time you need to lie down or take unplanned pauses during the day. It is vital that your doctor provide objective medical data to the SSA in order for the RFC to be supported.

If you are receiving treatment for mental health issues such as depression or anxiety, you should additionally request a mental RFC from your treating doctor or psychologist. A mental RFC should include explicit constraints on your ability to focus, follow directions, collaborate effectively, finish tasks in an acceptable amount of time, and whether or not you are currently utilizing drugs or alcohol.

Because drugs for alcoholic cirrhosis can have dangerous adverse effects, it is critical to keep track of any medications you are taking and how they impact you. The can influence what RFC the SSA gives you, and hence whether or not you are disabled. 

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Thursday, 28 March 2024