If you are living with asthma, then you know how it can impact your daily life. You may have developed asthma after exposure to chemicals in the workplace or have been born with it, but if you can no longer work because you’re unable to breathe well, then Social Security Disability Insurance may be an option.
With over 24 million people living with asthma in the United States today, it’s not surprising that some of those people have acute conditions that make it hard for them to work. The condition may cause coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath. An asthma attack could come on quickly, and an attack can be deadly if left untreated.
If you have acute asthma, you may qualify for Social Security Disability
When you can’t work because of an illness like asthma, you may be able to qualify for SSDI. Getting disability benefits requires you to meet the requirements in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book. According to that list, you must have a severe diagnosis of asthma. It must require intensive treatments and make it so that you cannot work.
What are intensive treatments?
Most people with asthma take bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids and oral corticosteroids. These treatments aren’t intensive. Intensive treatments include:
- Prolonged bronchodilator therapy in the hospital or emergency room
- The administration of antibiotics
- Intravenous bronchodilators
You may also have to show that you’ve been hospitalized at least three times within the last 12 months. Those stays usually need to last at least two months.
If your asthma isn’t this severe or your flares are not daily or prolonged, you may still qualify under the Medical Vocational Allowance. With this, you need to have a Residual Functional Capacity evaluation. This evaluation identifies the severity of your medical condition and also determines which kinds of full-time work you could be able to do. If there is no work available that you could do, then you could qualify for benefits.
When you can’t breathe, the last thing you want to worry about is working. If you’re struggling with asthma, look into Social Security Disability benefits. You can file an application and work toward obtaining the benefits that you need to support yourself while managing this difficult condition.