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Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits a Guidebook for People with MS and Their Healthcare Providers Table of Contents

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Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits a Guidebook for People with MS and Their Healthcare Providers Table of Contents CHANTELL LIVING WITH MS Applying for Social Security Disability Benefits A Guidebook for People with MS and their Healthcare Providers Table of Contents Introduction to the Guidebook .........................................................................3 Introducing the New Social Security Listing of Impairments for Multiple Sclerosis ............................................................6 Getting Started — First Steps for You and Your Healthcare Provider ...................................................................................8 ∫ Determining if SSDI is Right for You .........................................................8 ∫ Talking with Your Healthcare Provider ................................................ 10 ∫ Finding Assistance If You Need It ........................................................... 12 Preparing Your Application — Next Steps for You and Your Healthcare Provider ........................................................ 13 Submitting Your Application .......................................................................... 15 Understanding How Your Application is Processed ............................... 21 Managing Your Application Throughout the Review Process ............ 24 If Your Application is Approved — What Next? ....................................... 28 If Your Application is Denied — What Next? ............................................ 30 Appendix A: Glossary ........................................................................................ 34 Terms in the glossary are highlighted in maroon Appendix B: SSA Listing of Impairments ................................................... 40 Appendix C: Disability Evaluation Checklist for Healthcare Professionals .......................................................................... 51 Appendix D: Worksheets for Personal Use ................................................ 68 1. Your Medical History .................................................................................. 69 2. How MS Symptoms Impact Your Functioning and Ability to Work ..................................................................................... 73 3. Your Work History ...................................................................................... 80 4. Supporting information from Others ................................................... 82 Appendix E: Getting Assistance with Your Application ........................ 86 Introduction The Social Security Administration (SSA) recognizes MS as a chronic illness or “impairment” that could cause disability severe enough to prevent a person from working. Any of the following (or other) MS symptoms may become severe enough to interfere with a person’s ability to continue in the workforce: ∫ physical activities Difficulty walking, maintaining balance or engaging in other ∫ ∫ Difficulty using your arms, hands and fingers to carry out tasks ∫ Difficulty seeing and Difficulty prioritizing with cognitive tasks such as information processing, memory, attention, multi-tasking, problem-solving, planning ∫ Inability to function physically or cognitively for sustained periods of time because of severe fatigue ∫ ∫ ProblemsSevere and with persistent breathing, depression swallowing or other or speaking mood changes ∫ Severe and persistent pain A person with multiple sclerosis (MS) who is unable to work eight hours other conditions may qualify as disabled. The same medical criteria (See Appendixa day, five B) days apply a weekwhether due a to person MS-related is applying impairments for Social and/or Security Disability Insurance — SSDI (for individuals who have taxes — FICA) or for Supplemental Security Income — SSI (for individualsworked for awho sufficiently have not long worked time or and paid paid Social enough Security Social taxes Security and are elderly, blind and/or disabled with very limited means). For more information, visit nationalMSsociety.org/SSDGuide Applying for Social Security Disability is a complex process that requires a close collaboration between the person with MS and her or his healthcare providers. As part of the application the healthcare providers and the person with MS — as well as process, the Social Security Administration considers input from supply valuable information — to help them determine whether from family members, friends and colleagues who may be able to for both people with MS and their healthcare providers lies in the person qualifies as disabled under the law. The challenge providedunderstanding in the the application specific criteriadirectly established address those by lawcriteria. for a Tooperson manywith MS, applications and making are sure denied that simply the information because the and applicant evidence and healthcare providers have not provided the right information in the right way. This Guidebook is designed to help people with MS and their healthcare providers work collaboratively to submit a successful disability should begin well before a decision is made to do so. If eitherdisability the application.person with Ideally, MS or the the healthcare conversation provider about applyinganticipates for that MS symptoms are likely to make it impossible for the person This will help to ensure that the person with MS is tracking to stay in the workforce, it is time to start the conversation. changesand reporting in the worseningperson’s medical symptoms record. or increasing It will also work-related help to ensure thatchallenges, the healthcare and that provider the healthcare is recommending provider is anydocumenting additional these to assess changes in cognition that may be interfering with work performance.testing or evaluations All of this — documentation for example, neuropsychological provides the consistent testing evidence required to support a successful disability application. 4 For assistance, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325- 0778) or visit socialsecurity.gov/disability guidebook provides: To facilitate this kind of patient-provider collaboration, the ∫ Information on the essential roles played by both the person with MS and the healthcare provider in the application process ∫ A glossary ∫ A timeline of the steps involved in the application process ∫ of A descriptionthe law of the disability criteria for MS, including reference numbers for, and links to, the relevant sections ∫ A series of worksheets to help people with MS put together pertinenttheir medical input and from work family histories, and friends track their symptoms and the impact of those symptoms on work-related activities, and gather ∫ A Disability Evaluation Checklist to help healthcare providers gather and record the required medical information and write an effective Medical Source Statement (MSS) in support of the person’s application. ∫ Sample descriptions used in Medical Source Statements (MSS) thatfrom accompany a physician the (and/or medical advanced record practiceto support registered the person’s nurse, applicationphysician assistant, licensed optometrist) and a psychologist ∫ Resources for assistance with the completing the application ∫ Information about steps to take if the application is denied ∫ Additional resources To provide comments or suggestions about users’ experiences 5 with this guide, please email [email protected] Introducing the New Social Security Listing of Impairments for Multiple Sclerosis The Social Security Administration (SSA) has significantly revised werethe criteria done in for order evaluating to update neurological the medical disorders, criteria (includingListings providemultiple more sclerosis information (MS). The on revisions how SSA — evaluates the first neurological since 1985 — ), feedback over the past few decades. disorders and make other changes that reflect experiences and The key to a successful disability application Quick Tip is linking a person’s The same medical criteria apply whether a person with an associated challenges with employment history is applying condition, symptoms and for SSDI — Social Security numbered sections of the Disability Insurance (for the specific Listings in the individuals who have worked for the relevant number for eachlaw, making problem sure as well to include as enough Social Security taxes — wording that is similar FICA)a sufficiently or for SSI long — time Supplemental and paid to the descriptive terms Security Income (for individuals used in the Listing. The who have not worked or paid Social Security taxes and are very not medical professionals. SSA decision-makers are with very limited means). the applicant and her or poor, elderly, blind and/or disabled hisTherefore, healthcare the provider(s)easier make it for the reviewer to connect a particular symptom or impairment with a specific section of the law, the easier it is for the reviewer to approve the application. 6 For assistance, call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325- 0778) or visit socialsecurity.gov/disability that can interfere with an adult’s ability to function at work or in schoolThe common are covered physical, in three cognitive separate and emotionalsections of symptoms the Listing: of MS ∫ 11.09 – Neurological–Adult — Multiple Sclerosis ∫ 2.00 – Special Senses and Speech occur in MS , which includes the abnormalities of the eye, optic nerve or optic tracts that can ∫ 12.00 – Mental Disorders disorders that can occur in MS as well as in other medical or psychiatric conditions , which includes mood and cognitive criteriaEach of thesefor disability major sections due to physical
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