Facts about Pneumonia and Filing for DisabilityThese selected pages answer some of the most basic, but also some of the most important, questions for individuals who are considering filing a claim for disability benefits. Facts about the condition 1) Pneumonia involves lung inflammation that is usually caused by an infection from a bacteria, virus, fungus or parasite. 2) Pneumonia can cause fever, cough, breathing difficulty, sweating, chills, chest pain, headache, muscle pain and fatigue, much like the flu. However, these symptoms vary in severity and appearance, particularly among different age groups and the different types of pneumonia. 3) Pneumonia can be mild, also sometimes known as walking pneumonia, or life-threatening. Among elderly, chronically, and terminally ill patients it is one of the leading causes of death. 4) Individuals who are older than age 65 are at the greatest risk for developing pneumonia. Infants are also at a higher risk because their immune systems have not fully developed. Pneumonia is the cause of one in three deaths among newborns worldwide. Age decreases the risk of pneumonia up until 65. 5) Those with conditions that compromise the immune system, like HIV/AIDS or the use of chemotherapy treatment (such as for cancer), and chronic conditions like lung disease and diabetes, are at increased risk for developing pneumonia. These individuals may also have a more difficult time recovering from the illness. 6) Walking pneumonia gets its name because it is mild enough that patients do not need hospitalization or even bed rest for treatment. 7) Life-threatening complications from pneumonia include bacteria entering the bloodstream, fluid accumulation and infection around the lungs, abscess (a cavity full of pus) in the lungs, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (causing difficulty breathing and stopping oxygen from reaching the body). 8) The best method to avoid complications and illness from pneumonia is to prevent it altogether. Wash hands frequently, get plenty of rest and eat healthy foods that boost the immune system. Vaccinations for the flu are important, because pneumonia is often a complication of the flu. Vaccinations for types of pneumonia also exist for elder adults and young children. Qualifying for disability benefits with this condition Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements and treatment notes that may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It also includes discharge summaries from hospital stays, reports of imaging studies (such as xrays, MRIs, and CT scans) and lab panels (i.e. bloodwork) as well as reports from physical therapy. In many disability claims, it may also include the results of a report issued by an independent physician who examines you at the request of the Social Security Administration.
Qualifying for SSD or SSI benefits will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. In the case of adults, your work history information will allow a disability examiner (examiners make decisions at the initial claim and reconsideration appeal levels, but not at the hearing level where a judges decides the outcome of the case) to A) classify your past work, B) determine the physical and mental demands of your past work, C) decide if you can go back to a past job, and D) whether or not you have the ability to switch to some type of other work. The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities).
Why are so many disability cases lost at the disability application and reconsideration appeal levels? There are several reasons but here are just two: 1) Social Security makes no attempt to obtain a statement from a claimant's treating physician. By contrast, at the hearing level, a claimant's disability attorney or disability representative will generally obtain and present this type of statement to a judge. Note: it is not enough for a doctor to simply state that their patient is disabled. To satisy Social Security's requirements, the physician must list in what ways and to what extent the individual is functionally limited. For this reason, many representatives and attorneys request that the physician fill out and sign a specialized medical source statement that captures the correct information. Solid Supporting statements from physicians easily make the difference between winning or losing a disability case at the hearing level. 2) Prior to the hearing level, a claimant will not have the opportunity to explain how their condition limits them, nor will their attorney or representative have the opportunity to make a presentation based on the evidence of the case. This is because at the initial levels of the disability system, a disability examiner decides the case without meeting the claimant. The examiner may contact the claimant to gather information on activities of daily living and with regard to medical treatment or past jobs, but usually nothing more. At the hearing level, however, presenting an argument for approval based on medical evidence that has been obtained and submitted is exactly what happens. About the Author: Tim Moore is a former Social Security Disability Examiner in North Carolina, has been interviewed by the NY Times and the LA Times on the disability system, and is an Accredited Disability Representative (ADR) in North Carolina. For assistance on a disability application or Appeal in NC, click here. Most popular topics on SSDRC.com Social Security Disability in North Carolina Common Mistakes to avoid after being denied for Disability Tips to Prepare for Filing for Social Security Disability or SSI Advice to Win SSD and SSI Benefit Claims Social Security Disability SSI Questions What is the difference between Social Security Disability and SSI? How to get disability for depression Getting disability for fibromyalgia SSI disability for children with ADHD What is the Application Process for Social Security Disability and SSI? Social Security Disability SSI Exam tips More Social Security Disability SSI Questions What makes you eligible for Social Security Disability or SSI? Related Body System Impairments: Asthma and Filing for Disability Asbestosis and Filing for Disability Bronchiectasis and Filing for Disability COPD and Filing for Disability Cystic Fibrosis and Filing for Disability Emphysema and Filing for Disability Lung Disease and Filing for Disability Pneumonia and Filing for Disability Sarcoidosis and Filing for Disability Sleep Apnea and Filing for Disability Tuberculosis and Filing for Disability COPD, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits Asthma, Social Security Disability, and Applying for Benefits File for disability or SSI in Pennsylvania SSI Disability in Pennsylvania Permanent Social Security Disability Pennsylvania |
