|  | Healthcare Industry | Health Insurance

Social Security for ADHD

The Social Security system is a social welfare program managed by the U.S. government. This program provides monthly checks for the retired in addition to benefits for the disabled. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a behavioral disorder that can severely impair the function of children and adults. Symptoms of this disorder, which millions of Americans suffer from, include inattention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviors. In some instances, people with ADHD are able to receive Social Security benefits for their disorder.

  1. Benefits

    • The Social Security Act provides for the payment of Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, checks for the disabled. In the Listing of Impairments manual by the Social Security Administration, section 112.11 considers ADHD to be a disability in serious cases. The 1989 court case Aviles v. Bowen determined ADHD to be a disorder covered by Supplemental Security Income. SSI can provide monthly checks to adults or the parents of children with ADHD that can help pay for medical expenses and therapy.

    Eligibility

    • In order to qualify for SSI, applicants must meet certain conditions, which are divided into both "A" and "B" criteria. "A" criteria involves marked inattention, impulsively and hyperactivity, of which all three conditions must be present. "B" criteria determines whether these conditions present a serious impairment to a child. These involve marked impairment in cognitive, social or personal functioning, of which two of these conditions must be met.

    Age

    • SSI disability benefits are predominately provided to children between the ages of 3 and 18 with marked social and cognitive impairment. The Social Security Administration will rarely grant SSI benefits to children under the age of 3 because of the difficulty in proving that the child suffers from ADHD. If adults with ADHD can prove that the disorder negatively impacts their daily functioning, they might qualify for Social Security benefits.

    Records

    • In order to claim disability status for their ADHD children, parents must present their case to the Social Security Administration. Parents should keep records of teacher assessments and evaluations, in addition to test results. In addition, parents should have a record of treatment notes that document the opinions of medical professionals regarding the condition of their child.

    Considerations

    • Because of the nature of bureaucracy and the amount of fraud that occurs in the Social Security system, it might take years and multiple appeals in order to receive SSI income for ADHD. Applications must first be approved, and then a date will be established where the claimant may make their case to a review board. As of 2010, there exists no clinical test for ADHD, which makes it difficult for claimants to prove that they or their children have the condition.

Health Insurance - Related Articles