Heart Conditions
Are you planning to apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits because of a heart condition? Following a heart attack or diagnosis of a chronic heart condition like cardiomyopathy or valve impairment, a doctor might advise you to stop working or find a less physically demanding or stressful occupation.
Congestive heart failure is characterized by congestion (fluid) in the lungs, edema (swelling) in the legs, and/or enlargement of the heart itself. This may manifest as shortness of breath (especially with activity), chest pain, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, heart palpitations or anxiety.
A disability claim requires specific medical evidence such as systolic failure (pumping strength) or diastolic failure (filling capacity), abnormal results on exercise tolerance testing, persistent symptoms that severely limit activities of daily living, fluid retention, multiple hospitalizations or emergency room visits in the past year and deteriorated heart function despite medication.
If you are experiencing chest pain, find yourself short of breath or are persistently fatigued, you must tell your doctor. Additionally, it is important to work with a doctor who will run adequate diagnostic testing to fully document the extent of your condition. Such tests may include stress tests, echocardiography and cardiograms. These tests provide the medical evidence necessary for the Social Security Administration to consider when reviewing your application and determining your eligibility for Social Security Benefits.
If you are no longer able to work as the result of any impairment affecting your heart, you may be eligible for benefits. At the Disability and Injury Law Offices of David R. Machek, we provide skilled legal representation for people throughout the Delaware Valley area.
We limit our legal practice to disability benefits, which means that our experience is focused on the processes and procedures in this area. We help clients present the proper medical evidence, backed up by documentation of the effects of heart failure on activities of daily living.
If heart problems have made it difficult for you to work, we can help. To schedule an initial consultation and case evaluation with a trusted SSDI and SSI lawyer serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding region, please contact us online or call at Jenkintown 215-385-5353 or Philadelphia 215-323-5320 to arrange a free initial consultation with our lawyer about SSD/SSI eligibility. Let us help you get the financial assistance you need and deserve.