Many dealing with liver disease live comparatively productive and healthy lives. They’re able to work and provide for themselves and their families. However, liver disease can sometimes become a debilitating condition that can limit the sufferer’s ability to work in a meaningful capacity. Some patients can be treated with medication; others require surgery. In extreme cases, patients are put on a waiting list for a liver transplant. Chronic liver disease is on the Social Security Administration’s list of impairments, and some patients qualify to receive either SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance) or SSI (Supplemental Security Income). To apply for Social Security disability benefits in southern California, speak promptly to an experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney.
There are a number of kinds of liver disease (also called “Hepatic” disease) which affect the organ responsible for filtering harmful substances in your blood. Some liver diseases are caused by viruses, such as hepatitis A, B, and C. There are also liver diseases caused by drinking too much alcohol or by consuming poisons or drugs. Cancers, too, may cause liver trouble; so can inherited genetic conditions like hemochromatosis.
To receive Social Security disability benefits based on a liver disease condition, your doctor must have either diagnosed you with end-stage liver disease or with chronic liver disease (which means it has lasted at least six months) with one of these complications:
1. hepatorenal syndrome
2. hepatopulmonary syndrome
3. hepatic encephalopathy
4. excess fluid in the peritoneal cavity or pleural cavity
5. esophageal or gastrointestinal hemorrhage
6. spontaneous bacterial peritonitis
If you suffer from cirrhosis of the liver, any kind of hepatitis, or Wilson’s disease, you may also qualify for benefits depending on your individual diagnosis. Applying for and receiving benefits can be complicated, and it can also take time, so act now. In southern California, if you think you may qualify to receive disability benefits on the basis of a liver condition, consult at once with a trustworthy, reliable, and experienced Los Angeles Social Security disability attorney.