What Is a Medical Disability?

The term "medical disability" generally refers to any medical condition that prevents someone from working or that significantly limits someone's daily activities. Examples of medical disabilities include multiple sclerosis, back problems, severe kidney disease, and psychological disorders.

Disability Programs

• Social Security Disability Insurance, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability benefits, state disability programs, and short-term disability insurance policies all provide coverage for people unable to work due to a medical disability. Each uses different criteria to determine whether or not someone has a medical disability.

Physical Illnesses

• Medical disabilities include physical illnesses like cystic fibrosis, aplastic anemia, chronic heart failure, lupus, and conditions that require an organ transplant for treatment. Such conditions may cause long-term disability or short-term disability.

Physical Injuries

• Physical injuries like back injuries, hearing loss, and vision loss cause medical disabilities for some people. Social Security only considers them medical disabilities if they prevent someone from working for at least one year, but other entities have different rules.

Mental Illnesses

• Social Security, the VA, and most short-term disability insurance policies provide coverage for mental illnesses like depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Such conditions often prevent people from working, at least for a time.

Disability Determination

• When determining whether or not someone has a medical disability, the evaluating entity reviews his medical records. The entity may also require him to undergo an examination by a doctor of their choosing.