Texas Social Security Disability Medical Requirements
If you have an ongoing medical condition that is disabling and prevents you from working and earning a living, you may be able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. The SSA sets the medical requirements for disability benefits in Texas and requires convincing medical evidence to prove that you have a severe enough disability in Texas to justify obtaining benefits.
In addition to Texas medical requirements for disability benefits meeting the SSA’s criteria, they will also need to be shown evidence that you are unable to work for at least the next 12 months.
Understanding the SSA’s Blue Book
What is the Blue Book?
You will be unable to obtain disability benefits if you cannot show Texas medical disability requirements matching the criteria in the SSA’s Blue Book for the disability you are suffering from. The symptoms you are experiencing must not only match the symptoms described in detail in the relevant section of the Blue Book, but must be severe enough to stop you from working for at least the next 12 months or be terminal.
The Blue Book is a comprehensive guide to medical conditions that the SSA considers as disabilities for which you can apply for federal disability benefits payments. Each medical condition is listed separately according to the body’s different organ systems, e.g. musculoskeletal disorders, digestive disorders, cardiovascular system, etc. It is important to have comprehensive medical documentation of your medical condition so it can be carefully compared with the symptoms listed in the relevant Blue Book section.
Medical Documentation Needed to Support Your Claim in Texas
Types of Medical Records to Submit
It is better to supply as much information as you can obtain or already hold rather than wait for the SSA’s examiners to ask you for more records. The SSA will want to know the history of your condition, when and how it was first diagnosed, the methods and test results that were used to diagnose it, the treatment you have received so far, the prognosis for future development of your condition, the ongoing treatment you are receiving at the moment and expect to continue to receive.
Doctor’s notes and medical assessment of your ability to work, reports from medical professionals who have examined you, test results that you have had and establish the severity of your condition, such as scans, x-rays, records of any hospital surgery you have had will all be included in the medical requirements for disability benefits in Texas.
How to Strengthen Your Medical Evidence
The strength of your medical evidence will depend on how detailed your reports and results of tests and treatment are. The SSA will want to see how the disability developed in your medical records and how it was diagnosed with full disclosure of the treatment you received. It can be harder trying to collect this sort of level of evidence later on, so it is a wise move to start collecting as much evidence as you can and in as much detail as possible from the earliest point at which the disability first became established.
Importance of Follow-Up Treatments & Follow-Up Care in Texas
Importance of Ongoing Treatment
It is important to show evidence that you are receiving ongoing treatment for your disability and are following up-to-date advice from medical professionals who have been treating you and monitoring your condition.
If you cannot show that you are receiving ongoing medical treatment or have an up-to-date assessment or doctor’s report, you may not be approved for disability benefits. Severe side effects preventing you from ongoing treatment may be a reason that could be accepted by the SSA.
Proving Long-Term Disability
Regular visits to healthcare providers and updated medical records are needed to help establish the nature of your condition and the long-term impact on your ability to work
Consultative Exams & Their Role in the Evaluation Process
What is a Consultative Exam?
If the SSA’s examiners do not have sufficient evidence available to assess your medical condition, they may request that you attend a consultative examination (CE). The nature of the examination will depend on the disability for which you are applying. It may be a wholly physical examination, a mental examination, or both. The SSA may also request that you attend a residual functional capacity (RFC) examination to assess what physical or mental tasks you can or cannot do and which may assist them in determining whether you can still work or work in some other capacity.
Preparing for a Consultative Exam
During the consultative examination, examiners will not only perform a variety of diagnostic tests but will ask you a number of questions about your disability, its development, how it impacts your ability to do your job, your symptoms, etc. It is important to provide as much detail as you are asked and be as honest as possible about the timeline of your disability and the severity of the symptoms you experience.
Receiving Benefits if You Don’t Meet Medical Requirements in Texas
How to Qualify with Unlisted Conditions
Medical-Vocational Allowances
Even if you are unable to meet the requirements the SSA sets for obtaining disability benefits, you may still qualify for payments through the medical-vocational allowance (MVA) program.
The SSA may assess your eligibility for a medical-vocational allowance by taking into account your age, skills, and disability type. Age is an important factor as it is assumed that the older you are, the less likely you might be to learn new skills and make a living in a different way than you have done so far. Applicants who are not yet 50, for example, are much less likely to obtain a medical-vocational allowance than those over 60.
Applicants who have only worked in unskilled manual work may find it easier to obtain a medical-vocational allowance because they may not have the skills or aptitude to find other ways to earn a living.
Additional Medical Information in Texas
Disability benefits are provided by a federal agency, the Social Security Administration (SSA), and are independent from any state-specific criteria. The SSA will have offices where you can apply for disability benefits in certain Texas cities.
Working with a Texas Disability Lawyer
Working with a Texas disability lawyer can increase your chances of obtaining disability benefits without having to appeal a negative decision. Most benefits application rejections are due to insufficient medical documentation or not enough proof that you are unable to work for the minimum 12-month period or show that you qualify based on financial records. A Texas disability lawyer knows the application process inside out and can help you prepare your evidence to submit with your application to meet the standards set by the SSA.
In the event that an appeal will be necessary, a disability lawyer’s help will increase your chances of a successful appeal.
