Sickle Cell Anemia Social Security Benefits

Up to 100,000 Americans have sickle cell disease. Some races and ethnicities are more prone to it than others. You are most likely to have sickle cell trait if you have African ancestry. If you are Hispanic, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, or Indian, you may be at risk.

Because of these hereditary blood diseases, red blood cells become rigid and crescent-shaped rather than spherical. As a result, blood cannot readily flow through the blood vessels. This can result in acute pain flare-ups, as well as anaemia, stroke, organ damage, and heart or liver failure. There is currently no cure for sickle cell disease. However, you can control the symptoms.

The main and most common sickle cell symptom is pain crises, which occur on a regular basis. You might also have anaemia, which causes fatigue. Swollen hands and feet, dark urine, yellow eyes, pale skin or nail beds, a swollen belly, and frequent infections are other symptoms. Stroke symptoms such as facial paralysis or slurred speech might also indicate sickle cell disease.

Sickle Cell Anemia Social Security Benefits

If you are unable to work due to sickle cell anaemia, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) gives benefits to a sickle cell anaemia patient and certain dependents in his or her family if the patient has worked long enough to earn enough credits to pay the appropriate amount of Social Security taxes. The claimant's condition must be severe enough to render him or her fully incapacitated in order to qualify for SSDI.

According to bethematch.org, sickle cell anaemia is the most common blood disorder identified in the United States. According to the website that seeks donor matches to help cure the sickness, the ailment affects one in every 500 African Americans and one in every 1,000 to 1,400 Hispanic Americans.

Individuals who have been judged to be chronically handicapped and have been unable to work for a year or more are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. The Social Security Administration collects a large quantity of information on the claimant and his or her health during the application procedure. Medical documentation must be supplied before the disability determination team may determine whether the individual meets the criteria for being deemed disabled.

Qualifying for Social Security With Sickle Cell Disease

There is no treatment for Sickle Cell Disease at the moment, although medications are available to help patients manage the condition's spells and pain. Individuals suffering with Sickle Cell Disease should take medications and supplements (such as folic acid) on a daily basis, rather than only when an episode occurs. Hydroxyurea, a medicine, may reduce the frequency of episodes, but it does not work for everyone. In rare cases, a blood transfusion may be required to treat a severe Sickle Cell Disease episode.

Your doctor may run a full blood count, haemoglobin electrophoresis, and a sickle cell test to detect Sickle Cell Disease. Other tests that may be conducted include bilirubin testing, blood oxygen tests, CT scans, and MRIs. Your white blood cell count and urine for blood may also be examined by your doctor.

You must demonstrate that your condition is severe enough to prevent you from performing substantial gainful work when applying for Social Security Disability benefits due to Sickle Cell Disease. When evaluating a claim for Social Security Disability benefits, the Social Security Administration (SSA) consults the "Blue Book" of impairments. Sickle Cell Disease is covered in Section 7.02 of the Blue Book, which deals with haematological disorders.

It is important to remember that, while Sickle Cell Disease is on the SSA's list of disabilities, it does not automatically qualify you for disability compensation. To be eligible for disability benefits due to Sickle Cell Disease, your medical records must show at least three documented painful thrombotic episodes in the five months preceding your disability determination, evidence of severe anaemia with hematocrit levels less than 27%, or at least three hospital stays due to your condition in the previous 12 months. If you have a Sickle Cell Disease-related disease that fits other SSA disability standards, you may also be eligible.

If your Sickle Cell Disease condition meets the following criteria, you have a better chance than most of receiving approval at the first stage of the Social Security Disability claim procedure. If your Sickle Cell Disease does not meet the conditions listed above but still prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits. However, in order to obtain the benefits you require, you may be required to file an appeal.

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Not all cases of Sickle Cell Disease are the same. Some patients may be eligible for Social Security Disability payments right once, while others may have to go through a lengthy appeals process before receiving the benefits to which they are entitled. Only 30% of all SSA applications are approved at the initial stage of the application procedure.