Qualifying for Disability Benefits (SSDI) with Asthma in Pennsylvania

Today, millions of Americans live with some form of disability.  For many of these individuals, their medical condition is so severe that it prevents them from going to work and earning an income.  Of course, life doesn’t pause for health issues — and neither do your utility bills, housing expenses, groceries, and other day-to-day costs. However, there’s good news: the SSA (Social Security Administration) spends billions of dollars on monthly programs every year to help those who cannot work.
Unfortunately, it’s more difficult than you might think to get a claim approved.  Even if an injury or illness feels very obvious and real to you and your physician, the SSA will still need to review your application, a large part of which rests on the strength of the medical documentation you are able to provide.  So how does the SSA evaluate asthma claims?  If you have asthma, can you qualify for disability benefits? Our Philadelphia disability attorneys will be happy to help.

How Our Pennsylvania Disability Lawyers Can Help

While the SSA approves a small portion of the claims it receives, the hard truth is that the majority of claims will be denied and turned away on the first pass.  Some of these rejections are rooted in technical faults (e.g. missing a deadline), but many are based on medical reasoning.  The SSA may determine that your condition is not severe enough to prevent you from working, or that you do not meet the 12-month minimum time requirement.
Call our law offices at (215) 701-6519 in Pennsylvania to schedule your free, confidential legal consultation with a Philadelphia social security disability lawyers.

Asthma Statistics

Asthma is one of the more common health issues in the United States.  According to the CDC, asthma affects roughly:

• 16.4 million adults
• 7 million children

Asthma occurs because the airways in the lungs are inflamed and narrowed, making it much more difficult to breathe.  While this lung condition can generally be managed with inhalers or other treatments, severe asthma can be debilitating or even deadly.
In Pennsylvania, the CDC reports:

• 892,650 adults
• 267,668 children

How the Social Security Administration Classifies Asthma

In order to evaluate disability claims, the SSA uses a medical catalog called the Listing of Impairments.  The Listing, which is divided into separate sections for adults and children, provides the specific guidelines used by the SSA.  The information contained with your claim will be compared against the material in the Listing in order to determine whether your condition precludes you from working.
Asthma (Section 3.03) is included in the Listing under Section 3.00, Respiratory Impairments. This means that asthma can qualify you for monthly benefits.
However, your asthma will need to meet certain requirements.  For example, the Listing states, “…the asthma listing specifically includes a requirement for continuing signs and symptoms despite a regimen of prescribed treatment.”
Under Section 3.03, your asthma must be accompanied by either:

• Chronic Asthmatic Bronchitis
• Attacks

The SSA defines attacks as “prolonged symptomatic episodes lasting one or more days and requiring intensive treatment.”  Intensive treatment might include:

• Antibiotics
• Inhalational Bronchodilator Therapy (in a hospital setting)
• Intravenous Bronchodilator

Additionally, attacks must:

1. Continue despite treatment.
2. Require intervention by a doctor.
3. Happen at least once every two months, or six times per year.

Attacks must meet all three of those requirements.
Furthermore, asthma is subject to a minimum 12-month duration requirement.

Pennsylvania Disability Attorneys Offering Free Consultations

If your claim has been denied — or if you haven’t even submitted one yet — the seasoned Philadelphia social security disability lawyers. of Young, Marr & Associates are here to help.  Our firm is armed with more than 25 years of experience, and we have handled thousands of cases.  No matter which stage of the application process you’ve reached, we have decades of experience and practical knowledge to help get you approved.
If you or someone you love is unable to work due to asthma in Pennsylvania, you could qualify for assistance. To get started exploring your options, call Young, Marr & Associates at (215) 701-6519 in Pennsylvania, or contact our Philadelphia disability attorneys online. Your first consultation is free, so call now.