SSDI for Chronic Liver Disease: Our Skilled SSDI Lawyer Breaks Down the SSA Blue Book Listing for Liver Disease
Living with chronic liver disease can be painful and limiting; it may prevent you from working and impact your daily routines. But you’re not alone. Social Security disability insurance could help by providing essential benefits. While the Social Security Blue Book listing for liver disease can seem complicated, you can get the help you need to understand it and apply for Social Security disability insurance from a compassionate and skilled SSDI lawyer at Phillip M. Hendry Law.
We’ve spent the last 10+ years guiding clients on the SSDI applications. If you’re suffering from the impact of chronic liver disease, we can help ease the stress and seek the benefits you deserve. Reach out to our experienced SSDI lawyer to discuss your eligibility and how we can help with the SSDI application process.
What Is Chronic Liver Disease?
Chronic liver disease (CLD) usually references conditions that cause a progressive weakening of your liver, which can occur over months or years. Liver diseases can be caused by viruses, genetics, or toxins, including:
- Hepatitis (A, B, or C) or autoimmune hepatitis
- Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Primary biliary cholangitis (an autoimmune disease that damages the bile ducts)
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis (progressive liver disease with no known cause)
- Liver cancer (including bile duct cancer and liver cell adenoma)
- Alcohol-related liver diseases, such as cirrhosis
Symptoms Associated With Chronic Liver Disease
Liver disease can be challenging because early stages aren’t always associated with many symptoms. Sometimes it begins with acute hepatitis, which can involve fever, stomach pains, and nausea.
Other conditions may show early symptoms like fatigue, nausea, or upper abdominal pain. Later stages of chronic liver disease, however, can indicate the condition has become more severe. Late-stage symptoms include:
- Jaundice
- Dark urine
- Light or clay-colored stools
- Loss of weight and muscle
- Digestive problems
- Musty breath
- Mild mental impairments
- Itchy skin (pruritis)
How to Qualify for SSDI With Chronic Liver Disease
In order for your application to qualify, you must meet the basic Social Security eligibility criteria. This includes having worked in jobs covered by Social Security and having earned enough work credits for your age.
Your condition must also last 12 months or be expected to result in death. It must be considered severe and prevent you from working (in SSDI terms, performing substantial gainful activity (SGA)). Your chronic liver disease must also qualify or equal the SSA Blue Book Listing.
The Social Security Blue Book Listing for Liver Disease at a Glance
The Social Security Blue Book listing for liver disease is covered under section 5, digestive disorders, and specifically discussed in section 5.05 for chronic liver disease. The listing states that individuals will be evaluated for the signs and symptoms of liver disease and how these impact their ability to function.
Episodes of acute liver disease that are not prolonged or that do not lead to progressive liver damage do not qualify. Laboratory findings, including a liver biopsy if available, will be evaluated to help determine if a person qualifies.
Manifestations of Chronic Liver Disease
The Social Security Blue Book Listing for liver disease outlines several specific manifestations of CLD they consider for qualification. These include:
- Gastrointestinal hemorrhaging
- Ascites or hydrothorax (accumulation of fluid in a specific part of the abdomen)
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (an acute bacterial infection associated with chronic liver disease)
- Hepatorenal syndrome (kidney failure)
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome (a condition associated with CLD that impacts the lungs and causes shortness of breath)
SSA Chronic Liver Disease Scoring
The Social Security Blue Book listing for liver disease also includes a scoring system. It involves two separate CLD scores, each with three or four laboratory values. There are also specific date ranges that the laboratory results must fall within to qualify for scoring.
Certain elements of the scoring are associated with different aspects of liver disease. For example, if you are in kidney failure or on dialysis within a week of the serum creatinine test, you would automatically receive the highest serum creatinine level allowed in the calculation.
As an example, end-stage liver disease with CLD scores of 22 or higher qualifies for SSDI.
The Importance of Documentation for Your SSDI Application for CLD
The multiple symptoms associated with chronic liver disease, the various diseases that cause them, and the detailed CLD scoring system can make navigating SSDI applications a complex process. You’ll need thorough notes and information from acceptable medical sources (AMS) and detailed lab evidence to prove your condition is disabling. Phillip M. Hendry Law can help you compile all the required information for your application.
Don’t Face Chronic Liver Disease Alone: Phillip M. Hendry Law Can Fight for Your Benefits
The Social Security Blue Book listing for liver disease is complicated. However, working with Phillip M. Hendry Law helps you step out of the confusion and face the SSDI application process with confidence. With a qualified SSDI attorney, not only do your chances of approval increase, but you’ll also get the unique insight of a team that has worked with clients on SSDI applications for over three decades. Let us take away the worry over common mistakes and deadlines. Get the guidance you need and seek the benefits you deserve by working with Phillip M. Hendry Law.