Is Heart Arrhythmia A Disability?
Heart arrhythmia can lead to disability. If you suffer from a condition that hinders your ability to work, you can receive disability income from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Not all conditions are considered serious enough to qualify for disability payments. Heart arrhythmia may meet the requirements in certain situations. If you have heart arrhythmia and you’re finding it difficult to work, you may want to have your case evaluated to find out if you qualify for disability.
Understanding how heart arrhythmia affects your potential disability payments can help you understand what to expect from the process. If you have or believe you may have the condition, keep reading to learn more about what is involved in qualifying for SSA disability.
If you have been diagnosed with heart arrhythmia and you’re having trouble working because of it, chances are you have many questions about your future. You may be wondering do I qualify for disability, how much can I make on disability, and how long can I get it? This article is your starting point for getting the information you need.
What Is Heart Arrhythmia?
Heart arrhythmia is a cardiac condition marked by an irregular heartbeat. Normally, there are electrical signals in your body that tell your heart muscles to contract in a regular pattern. This is how your heart pumps to move blood throughout your body.
With heart arrhythmia, however, these impulses are not able to coordinate the heart muscles effectively. This results in a heartbeat that is faster, slower, or less steady than normal.
Are you wondering if you have heart arrhythmia? Symptoms of the condition can include:
- A fluttering sensation or pain in your chest
- An unusually fast or slow heart rate
- Dizziness and sweating
- Syncope (loss of consciousness) or near syncope (close to losing consciousness)
- Shortness of breath
Often you won’t even know you have an arrhythmia, because a minor heart arrhythmia may not cause any noticeable symptoms or interfere with your overall health or ability to work. On the other hand, if you have a more serious form of heart arrhythmia such as ventricular or atrial fibrillation, you may be at risk for a stroke or heart attack.
Qualifying for Disability
The SSA has established specific criteria for disability evaluation under Social Security that have to be met in order for your heart arrhythmia to qualify for disability. The listing that spells out these criteria can be found in Section 4.05 of the SSA’s Disability Professionals Blue Book.
To qualify for disability, your heart arrhythmia must be a recurrent arrhythmia, and it must be unrelated to another reversible condition. In addition, your arrhythmia must be uncontrolled, which means it has not improved after standard medical treatment. It must also be marked by episodes of syncope or near syncope and documented by standard tests.
If you are able to work, you are most likely wondering how much money can you make while receiving Social Security Disability. The answer depends on the specifics of your case.
Heart Arrhythmia and Disability
If you have received any sort of ongoing treatment for your heart arrhythmia, your doctor can provide medical records that will help to support your claim. Standard medical treatment for heart arrhythmias can include medication or an implanted medical device like a pacemaker or defibrillator.
If you have not received ongoing medical treatment for your heart arrhythmia, you may still qualify for disability. The SSA will examine the medical evidence for other impairments that you may have that would combine with the heart arrhythmia to limit your ability to function. They will also take your age, education, and work history into account.
If your heart arrhythmia is controllable by treatment, you will not qualify for disability under these criteria. However, if you discover that you have an underlying cause of heart disease, that can be used to qualify for disability.
If you have questions about disability, legal professionals are typically available 24/7 to answer your questions. For help with your claim, consult with an attorney to discuss the best strategy for your situation.
