An irregular and rapidly beating heart can lead to serious medical consequences. Referred to as atrial fibrillation, numerous adverse symptoms often generate thousands of dollars in medical bills, as well as render a patient incapable of holding down a job. If you had a diagnosis for atrial fibrillation, you might be eligible to receive financial assistance from a safety net program run by the Social Security Administration (SSA). An experienced disability attorney will help you submit medical evidence of an atrial fibrillation diagnosis, as well as demonstrate how the disorder negatively impacted your career.
Submit Convincing Medical Documents
The SSA requires disability applicants to prove they have missed work for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. After meeting the first step of the disability application process, you need to provide the SSA with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of every doctor that diagnosed, treated, and rehabilitated the symptoms triggered by atrial fibrillation. The SSA also wants to know the names and contact information of the medical facilities where you stayed during the entire process. Physician notes provide the SSA with detailed information concerning the seriousness of your symptoms.
According to the SSA Blue Book, atrial fibrillation can trigger a wide variety of serious symptoms that include dizziness, extended fatigue, and weakness at one or more spots of the body. A cardiologist will conduct a series of tests to detect the symptoms caused by atrial fibrillation. The results of an electrocardiogram demonstrate irregular electrical activity around the heart. Then, your cardiologist will attach a device called a Holter monitor to measure the heart’s electrical activity during the following 48 hours. The results of a Holter monitor test let the SSA know the severity of your atrial fibrillation. Your family medical history should also accompany the disability application.
Other Documents You Need to File
Submitting medical documents is just the first part of the disability application process. You also have to show the SSA how atrial fibrillation has prevented you from working. The SSA wants to read a summary provided by your employer that describes your job duties, as well as how atrial fibrillation has negatively impacted your job performance. Your most recent W-2 form and federal tax return should provide the SSA with statistical evidence that backs up your claim that atrial fibrillation has caused a dramatic loss of income. Make sure to submit copies of both documents that come from the most recent year of you suffering from the acute symptoms of atrial fibrillation. One important form that sometimes gets overlooked is the document that gives every one of your healthcare specialists permission to send the SSA medical files concerning your medical condition.
Ask for Help from a State-Licensed Social Security Attorney
Since the SSA denies more than half of all disability applications, you must submit the most persuasive evidence possible that atrial fibrillation has damaged your career. A highly-rated Social Security lawyer will organize your medical documents to bolster your claim. Disability attorneys also help clients use the SSA’s online application to submit a claim. An online application requires the scanning of documents and then saving the documents in unique files. If your claim comes back denied by the SSA, your Social Security lawyer will immediately file an appeal.
Most Social Security attorneys receive compensation on a contingency fee basis, which means they do not get paid until their clients get paid.
Back to topAdditional Resources
- Disability Benefits With Cardiovascular Issues
- Using A Residual Functional Capacity For Heart Failure
