Emphysema is one of the most common forms of breathing difficult a person can suffer. In addition to affecting your ability to breathe normally and comfortably, emphysema can also make it difficult for you to work, especially if you have a labor-intensive job. When your emphysema has started to substantially limit your work ability, a good option is to apply for disability benefits.
Most forms of disability are eligible for benefits at some level, providing the perfect avenue for financial support when you can no longer work. Learn the requirements for receiving disability benefits for emphysema, and discover the circumstances when you need legal help from a Los Angeles disability lawyer to get your benefits.
Emphysema Tests and Automatic Approval
Severe emphysema will, in most cases, be automatically approved for disability benefits if its effects reach the level of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD). To test if your emphysema qualifies as COPD, Social Security will request that you submit to several breathing tests to confirm your respiratory ability.
During a consultative exam performed by a Social Security approved physician, you will receive a spirometry test. A spirometry test gauges how much air you are able to take in and your breathing rate. For the purposes of a Social Security COPD test, you will be tested on how much air you are able to breathe out in one second.
If you’re are trying to be automatically approved for emphysema disability benefits, there are a few additional pieces of evidence that you will need to provide to Social Security. Primarily, you will need to provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) with physical evidence of your emphysema, such as a CT scan or an X-Ray. It is also possible to receive benefits if your doctor has determined, and put in writing, that your disease precludes you from working.
Basic Disability Requirements
There are some additional requirements that you need to know about when you’re seeking disability benefits for your emphysema. For example, even if your emphysema does qualify automatically, you will still need to be eligible under the basic requirements for receiving disability.
If you worked prior to applying for disability benefits, you cannot have earned more than $1,090 per month. Also, for full eligibility, your emphysema needs to have prevented you from working for at least a year. If you don’t meet the basic disability requirements, you won’t be able to receive disability payments.
You also need to know that there are two types of disability you could apply for. If you have any sort of work history and have paid into the Social Security system, you would apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). If you have no work history, you will apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
Fight for Your Disability Benefits with Legal Help
If you’ve gone through the process of applying for emphysema disability benefits and have been denied, you need to fight for your deserved payments with the help of an attorney from the Law Offices of Dr. Bill LaTour.
We’ve been helping disabled individuals in the Greater Los Angeles area, the Inland Empire, and Orange County get the disability benefits they need for years. Call Dr. Bill LaTour and his team today at 800-803-5090 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation.
