SSDI and Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease is preventable and, in many cases, reversible. The condition can cause life-threatening problems, if not discovered before its advanced stages, and may require a transplant. It can be difficult to prove you are completely disabled with the diagnosis of fatty liver disease alone. The condition will need to have progressed significantly, with substantial medical intervention, before you are eligible for disability payments.

Fatty Liver Disease

• It is not normal for fat to be present in the liver, but a small amount is not known to cause major problems. It's when the liver has a 10 percent or greater fat content that problems begin to develop. Fatty liver disease can be classified as either alcohol-induced or nonalcoholic. Nonalcoholic fatty liver has no known cause, but most people who get it are usually middle-aged and obese. In either case, the disease usually presents no symptoms in most able-bodied people. It is diagnosed typically through a blood test or routine checkup where a physician notes the organ is enlarged. Because it doesn't usually present symptoms, it's often called a silent disease. Moreover, there's no established method of treating it. Left untreated however, the disease begins to damage liver cells, causing inflammation, scarring and eventually cell death (or cirrhosis). Liver failure is a disabling condition, requiring a transplant. If discovered early, however, progress of the disease can usually be stopped and reversed by eliminating alcohol and maintaining good diet and exercise habits.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

• The Social Security Administration (SSA) pays SSDI, or "disability," benefits to people who are completely disabled but have worked before and paid FICA taxes. Typically, the SSA requires that an applicant for disability must have been employed for five of the previous 10 years before becoming completely disabled. The SSA checks your work history then begins issuing a monthly payment based on how much you earned. Your minor children can also receive a payment due to your disability. Qualifying for disability also makes you eligible for Medicare.

Medical Reviews

• The SSDI benefit exists to help those who are unable to work because of their medical condition. It applies rigorous standards to all applicants to ensure they are eligible. The SSA may find your ability to function is impaired, but you still have the ability to work and may deny your claim. To prove your disability, the medical proof must meet the standards the SSA sets for disability for the condition you are claiming. Your medical history will be checked for the diagnosis, chronic nature and severity of the condition. Fatty liver disease poses the dilemma of a condition that doesn't show any symptoms early on, but the patient must show a long history of treatment for the problem. The doctors who treat you should be part of the application process; but if they do not claim your ability to work is limited by fatty liver disease, the chances of getting SSDI are greatly diminished.

Liver Specifications

• The SSA has very complex and specific standards by which it judges disability due to liver disease. Section 5 of the Disability Evaluation handbook lists six conditions which will support a finding of disability when an individual has a chronic liver disease. These include dilated veins in the esophagus that have hemorrhaged because of liver problems, having had a shunt operation to repair these veins, an excessive amount of bile in the blood for more than five months, an excessive amount of fluid in the abdominal cavity (common with liver cirrhosis), a medical exam that determines your brain function has been affected by your liver disease, or a liver biopsy.

Application Process

• To apply for disability, you must fill out an application at your local SSA office. You will be required to list your employment history and details about your medical history and supply proof of your identity. Your application will go through a "disability determination" review. During this process, the reviewer will gather medical documentation, have you undergo examinations and get the opinions of the agency's own medical practitioners. This process can take up to three months after which you will get a written finding. Social Security only approves about 35 percent of claims on the first try. Many people often seek legal counsel to get their benefits. You can appeal, if your claim is denied, by filing a Request for Reconsideration. If you are denied again, you can go before a judge for another level of review; this is the only way to have a dialogue with the people making the decisions about your application. If still unsuccessful, you can go before an appeals council or file a lawsuit in federal court. It should be noted that the higher up you go in the review process, the more expensive, time-consuming and rigorous the medical review.