Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is available for a wide range of medical conditions. However, some medical conditions are easier to prove than others. As such, you may be wondering what disabilities are the hardest to prove.
Among those medical conditions that are hardest to prove are back and spine injuries since they may be deemed temporary or mild; chronic migraines since they are not recognized as a disability by the Social Security Administration (SSA); and mental conditions that may include depression, anxiety, or PTSD.
Keep reading below as we describe these conditions in more detail.
SSA Criteria for Disability
If you don’t have a disability that leaves you completely unable to work, you won’t be eligible for SSDI benefits. The Social Security Administration will only grant you total disability status if you meet the following requirements:
- You can’t return to the same line of employment that you had before getting a disability.
- You cannot engage in any substantial gainful activity, meaning that you are unable to engage in work that would allow you to make at least $1,470 each month.
- Your medical condition has been present for or is projected to continue for a minimum of twelve months or will result in death.
If you meet all three of these requirements, the Social Security Administration will consider you disabled, and you may be eligible for SSDI.
Hardest to Prove Disabilities
The Blue Book doesn’t cover every possible medical condition, and some of them are certainly serious enough to keep you from working even if they don’t appear in there.
Fortunately, the Blue Book entries are just one factor among many that the SSA considers when deciding who qualifies for SSDI or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. These more difficult-to-demonstrate conditions include:
Injuries to the Back and Neck
It’s not uncommon for people to file for disability after suffering a neck, back, or spinal injury. However, the SSA does not grant benefits for mild or temporary impairments.
In order to prove that your injury will keep you from working for more than a year, you will need medical evidence such as MRIs, CT scans, test results, and the confirmation of your doctor.
Chronic Migraines
If you suffer from chronic headaches, you know how disruptive they can be. Migraines are not one of the conditions recognized by the Social Security Administration. Medical records, including diagnoses, treatments, and prescriptions, are evidence that can aid your case. Your case may be strengthened by the fact that chronic migraines are often accompanied by some form of mental disability.
Fibromyalgia
The Social Security Administration recognizes fibromyalgia as a valid medical diagnosis, but it can be challenging to diagnose. A misdiagnosis is possible due to the widespread pain and exhaustion that characterize fibromyalgia.
If you need assistance proving the extent of your disability, seeing a rheumatologist can help.
Mental Illnesses
Conditions that qualify as disabilities but are challenging for individuals to demonstrate include mental illnesses like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. A strong medical history and regular visits to a psychiatrist or psychologist can help your case. Consistent treatment is always beneficial in social security disability cases.
Combining a mental impairment claim with a physical one is the best way to ensure success.
What Should I Do If My Disability Is More Difficult to Prove?
Even if the Social Security Administration has already denied your claim for disability payments, you may still be eligible under different rules. Before filing an appeal, it is important to investigate the specific grounds for the SSA’s denial of your application for benefits.
If you’re applying for disability payments and you have a condition that is difficult to establish, you can increase your chances by doing any of the following:
- by gathering more medical evidence to prove that your condition fits the criteria of the appropriate blue book listing;
- by having your doctor certify that you are disabled and will remain so for at least the next year;
- by having your doctor conduct a residual functional capacity (RFC) evaluation to determine what tasks you are physically (and mentally, if applicable) capable of performing.
- by keeping up with treatment, if possible, and collecting documents from doctors detailing your condition’s progression.
If the RFC evaluation concludes that you are unfit to continue working as a result of your debilitating condition, you could potentially be eligible for a medical vocational allowance regardless of whether your medical condition is not included in the Blue Book.
Keep in mind that if you suffer from a mental impairment, you can prove the extent to which it prevents you from working by obtaining an MRFC evaluation.
Immediate Disability-Qualifying Conditions
In order to get disability payments, you must meet all of the requirements set forth by the Social Security Administration.
On the other hand, the “Blue Book” issued by the Social Security Administration contains a list of conditions that the agency will take into consideration when determining whether or not a person is disabled and hence eligible for disability benefits. To name a few:
- Musculoskeletal problems (such as injured bones or joints)
- Senses and speech disorders (such as vision impairments or blindness)
- Respiratory system disorders (such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis)
- Cardiovascular problems (such as persistent heart failure)
- Digestive tract disorders (such as inflammatory bowel syndrome or liver issues)
- Genitourinary disorders (diseases that affect the urine system as well as the reproductive organs)
- Hematological diseases (diseases of the organs that make blood)
- Skin problems (like dermatitis, burns, and long-lasting skin diseases)
- Endocrine system disorders (e.g., pituitary gland disorder, thyroid gland dysfunction)
- Birth defects that affect more than one part of the body
- Epilepsy, benign brain tumors, and other neurological illnesses
- Mental illnesses (such as mania, depression, and anxiety)
- Cancers and malignant tumors
- Immune system disorders (such as HIV infection, lupus, and inflammatory arthritis)
The Social Security Administration includes all of these conditions in the Listing of Impairments—Adult Listings (Part A). The Social Security Administration considers conditions falling under these broad headings to be particularly debilitating.
Conclusion
So, although there are some medical conditions that may be harder to prove than others, it is nonetheless possible to get benefits based on them if you provide the right evidence. In cases like this, you may want to enlist the help of a disability attorney to file an effective application since they tend to be a lot more familiar with the system and how to file properly under these conditions.
