According to the Social Security Administration, statistics show that a certain percentage of the population will be disabled before reaching 67 years of age. While we spend a lot of time working to be successful in our jobs and careers, few of us think about having a safety net, or simply are not financially in a position to have a safety net, that can sustain us if we become disabled.

Medical conditions that qualify for Social Security Disability claims

• The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a “List of Medical Disabilities” (known as the Blue Book) that automatically qualifies you for Social Security Disability (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), provided that certain conditions are met.
• If your medical condition, or its equivalent, is on the SSA’s List of Deficiencies, you are generally considered disabled and, therefore, eligible to receive disability benefits from the SSA.

The list of deficiencies or medical conditions under SSA’s Disability Criteria is usually broken down by body system or function. There are separate lists for adults and children under 18 years of age. For adults, medical conditions that qualify for SSDI or SSI include.

• Musculoskeletal problems, such as back problems and other joint and bone dysfunctions.
• Senses and speech problems, such as loss of vision and hearing.
• Respiratory diseases, such as asthma and cystic fibrosis.
• Cardiovascular conditions, such as chronic heart failure or coronary artery disease.
• Problems of the digestive tract, such as liver disease and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
• Neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy.
• Blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease or hemophilia.
• Mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, autism or intellectual disability.
• Immune system disorders, such as HIV / AIDS, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and kidney disease. The list of medical conditions for children under 18 is similar to that of adults.

ssa.gov