If you have a hernia and you believe you might not be able to work for 12 months, you might have a valid claim for Social Security disability benefits. To strengthen your claim to get disability benefits approved for a hernia, you should meet the medical and non-medical requirements established by the Social Security Administration (SSA). The most important sign of the five signs you may be approved for disability benefits is when you reach out to a state-licensed Social Security attorney for legal guidance.
Sign #1: Non-Medical Requirements
The disability claim form requires attention to detail. As the first non-medical requirement, you must ensure the claim is correctly filled out. The second non-medical requirement is to gain enough work credits to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. You gain a work credit in 2020 for every $1,410 in wages or self-employment income. The SSA establishes the minimum number of work credits to qualify for financial assistance by referring to your age when you first experienced hernia symptoms.
Sign #2: Submit the Most Persuasive Medical Evidence
Medical documents are the most influential documents that you file with a disability benefits claim. Your physician should perform several non-invasive tests to detect the presence of a hernia. You need to submit the results of the non-invasive tests to the SSA. If your doctor cannot diagnose a hernia by running standard non-invasive tests, then you may undergo imaging tests like an MRI or a CT scan. The SSA needs to see the results of the imaging tests as well.
Here are a few other medical records you should submit with your claim:
- Explanations of any treatments
- Copies of medication receipts
- Prognosis of a recovery
- Personal medical history
Make sure to submit medical documentation that comes from SSA-approved sources
Sign #3: Out of Work for 12 Months
The first hurdle to often climb when filing a disability benefits claim is to prove you have missed 12 consecutive months of work. Expect a representative from the SSA to request timekeeping documents that demonstrate you did not work during the 12 months. Submitting copies of your tax form from the most recent year and the past six monthly bank statements should prove that you suffered a significant decline in income because you did not work.
Sign #4: Meeting the Blue Book Listing
A team of medical examiners at the SSA refers to a guide called the Blue Book to determine the fate of disability benefits claims. Unfortunately, the Blue Book does not list a hernia as a qualifying medical condition. However, if the pain that you experience from a hernia prevents you from working, you can request a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment to determine how much physical activity you can endure on the job.
Sign #5: Getting a Social Security Lawyer on Your Side
Since many hernia cases end up moderating in terms of painful symptoms, the SSA is unlikely to approve a claim for disability benefits. This means you should consider hiring an experienced Social Security attorney to bolster the merits of your claim. Your lawyer can help you present more convincing medical evidence that your hernia symptoms make it impossible for you to exert any energy while on the job. A Social Security lawyer can also monitor the status of your claim to ensure it goes through the process promptly.
Schedule a free case evaluation today to learn what your claim needs to boost its chance of getting approved by the SSA.
Additional Resources:
- Herniated Disc Disability
- How Can an Attorney Help With Your Herniated Disc Claim?
- Hernia and Social Security Disability
