Important Info Social Security Disability (SS-Critria) with Acoustic Neuroma

[alicat]

Found this information, wanted to share with others who are or have applied for Social Security benefits.

Has anyone here in the forum seen or heard this information, about Social Security recognizing the symptoms of an Acoustic Neuroma, but not the AN Tumor itself.

Hopefully others who have applied and were successful, could reply / post here other important information that was used in their applications that would help others suffering with a AN tumor. 

If you used this information below please do share it here. Did SS approve your SSDI based on your AN Tumor alone or did they only recognize the symptoms? In the SS blue book, if were are found to meet the Criteria for SSDI, it will be based on “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function”

Here's what I found:

Acoustic Neuroma and Social Security Disability Benefits & Disability Definition & Criteria


Acoustic Neuroma and Qualifying Criteria

To qualify for disability benefits, you must meet the criteria of a condition listed in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book—a guide to disabling conditions and the qualifying criteria.

While the SSA’s Blue Book does not specifically list acoustic neuroma, it does mention “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function” under Section 2.07 of the Blue Book. This means that while the condition is not mentioned in the Blue Book by name, it is described in detail under a separate listing.

If you meet the criteria of Section 2.07 of the Blue Book and can furnish medical evidence of this, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. According to Section 2.07 you must be able to prove that:

1. If, You suffer from a disturbance of the labyrinthine-vestibular function that is characterized by a history of frequent attacks of balance disturbance, tinnitus and progressive loss of hearing; and

2. If, You suffer from disturbed function of the vestibular labyrinth that can be demonstrated by caloric or other vestibular tests; and

3.If, Your hearing loss has been detected by audiometry.

If you cannot prove that you meet the above-mentioned Blue Book guidelines,
you must be able to prove that your condition prevents you from performing any type of gainful activity through the use of the SSA’s Residual Functional Capacity form.
**Has anyone been successful with SSDI based solely on a Residual Functional Capacity Form???

By proving, beyond doubt, that you cannot perform work activity, your application may be approved based on a vocational allowance. You will, however, have to provide the SSA with extensive medical evidence to prove that you cannot work and that you will not be able to work for a total of 12 months.

Note! I'm not an attorney and am not advising anyone of how to apply for their SSDI benefits, I just wanted to share this information for feedback from other members who were successful applying for SSDI benefits, and how knowing what SS criteria is used when benefits are awarded.

I'm desperately trying to help my fiance with his own AN battle with SS, and we are leaning towards hiring the attorney shown in my other post here: http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=19116.0

I'm hopeful that this information will be helpful to forum members, when applying for SSDI benefits!

Maybe ask an SSDI attorney, if they believe if their case should be based on Residual Functional Capacity Form, or based on “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function” And why, he /she has come to that decision. Maybe your AN Tumor can meet SSA's criteria under some other symptom, I just don't know. It would be interesting to hear what others successful SSDI benefit awards were based on.

Alicat
P.S. Here's the Link to SSA Blue Book see section 2.07  http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/2.00-SpecialSensesandSpeech-Adult.htm See also SSA Blue Book section 11.05 on Benign Brain Tumors, and also section 11.02, 11.03, 11.04, here's the Link: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/11.00-Neurological-Adult.htm#11_05

[nftwoed]

Hi;
    “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function”
    Yes, my SSD was approved on that despite I had AN surgery 20 years previously.
    It wasn't known yet that I had NF-2 ( another AN ) but was experiencing increasing dizziness.

Found this information, wanted to share with others who are or have applied for Social Security benefits.

Has anyone here in the forum seen or heard this information, about Social Security recognizing the symptoms of an Acoustic Neuroma, but not the AN Tumor itself.

Hopefully others who have applied and were successful, could reply / post here other important information that was used in their applications that would help others suffering with a AN tumor. 

If you used this information below please do share it here. Did SS approve your SSDI based on your AN Tumor alone or did they only recognize the symptoms? In the SS blue book, if were are found to meet the Criteria for SSDI, it will be based on “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function”

Here's what I found:

Acoustic Neuroma and Social Security Disability Benefits & Disability Definition & Criteria


Acoustic Neuroma and Qualifying Criteria

To qualify for disability benefits, you must meet the criteria of a condition listed in the Social Security Administration’s Blue Book—a guide to disabling conditions and the qualifying criteria.

While the SSA’s Blue Book does not specifically list acoustic neuroma, it does mention “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function” under Section 2.07 of the Blue Book. This means that while the condition is not mentioned in the Blue Book by name, it is described in detail under a separate listing.

If you meet the criteria of Section 2.07 of the Blue Book and can furnish medical evidence of this, you may qualify for Social Security Disability benefits. According to Section 2.07 you must be able to prove that:

1. If, You suffer from a disturbance of the labyrinthine-vestibular function that is characterized by a history of frequent attacks of balance disturbance, tinnitus and progressive loss of hearing; and

2. If, You suffer from disturbed function of the vestibular labyrinth that can be demonstrated by caloric or other vestibular tests; and

3.If, Your hearing loss has been detected by audiometry.

If you cannot prove that you meet the above-mentioned Blue Book guidelines,
you must be able to prove that your condition prevents you from performing any type of gainful activity through the use of the SSA’s Residual Functional Capacity form.
**Has anyone been successful with SSDI based solely on a Residual Functional Capacity Form???

By proving, beyond doubt, that you cannot perform work activity, your application may be approved based on a vocational allowance. You will, however, have to provide the SSA with extensive medical evidence to prove that you cannot work and that you will not be able to work for a total of 12 months.

Note! I'm not an attorney and am not advising anyone of how to apply for their SSDI benefits, I just wanted to share this information for feedback from other members who were successful applying for SSDI benefits, and how knowing what SS criteria is used when benefits are awarded.

I'm desperately trying to help my fiance with his own AN battle with SS, and we are leaning towards hiring the attorney shown in my other post here: http://www.anausa.org/smf/index.php?topic=19116.0

I'm hopeful that this information will be helpful to forum members, when applying for SSDI benefits!

Maybe ask an SSDI attorney, if they believe if their case should be based on Residual Functional Capacity Form, or based on “disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function” And why, he /she has come to that decision. Maybe your AN Tumor can meet SSA's criteria under some other symptom, I just don't know. It would be interesting to hear what others successful SSDI benefit awards were based on.

Alicat
P.S. Here's the Link to SSA Blue Book see section 2.07  http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/2.00-SpecialSensesandSpeech-Adult.htm See also SSA Blue Book section 11.05 on Benign Brain Tumors, and also section 11.02, 11.03, 11.04, here's the Link: http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/11.00-Neurological-Adult.htm#11_05

[Lipoma]

alicat hit a grand slam with her research on SSD. I recived my SSD based solely on my ability not to perform my job and backed up with a lot of medical records and two DR. reports. The type of tumor never came in to question. It was what the tumor was doing to keep me from my job.  I filed on my own and got it with in 3 months. 

[alicat]

More helpful information, these two pamphlets will help your medical provider document your disability. This is important if properly documented your chances of a successful award are greatly enhanced.

See Links below for Combined Tips for Documenting a Disability ( Simple Strategies for Medical providers ) this brochure / pamphlet is 102-pages long. Here's the Link: http://www.healthconsumer.org/GRSSICombinedTipsDocumentingDisability.pdf

Here's the second bulletin / pamphlet, it's 82-pages long: http://www.nhchc.org/wp-content/uploads/courses/dd101/mod1/doc/DocumentingDisability2007.pdf

AliCat

[james e]

I applied on my own and was approved. You do not get a response from SS that tells you why you were accepted. You just get a yes or no answer, however I took vestibular therapy for months, and the therapist told me I was not reaching the goals she set and I would not ever be able to reach them. The Readers Digest version is...she fired me. This was not here fault. My remaining balancing functon is just not that good. I still lose my balance several times each day, 42 months post surgery. I was self employed and worked on ladders. I believe the report from the therapist got me approved...don't really know that, but I believe that was the reason.

James

[ombrerose4]

I also applied on my own and was approved after sending them releases from all of my doctors, therapists, neurologists, etc. The SS doctor was pretty dumb. He told me "you didn't have brain surgery, you had ear surgery". I said "No, I had brain surgery, would you like to see my scar?" He looked at my scar and then said, "Oh, you had brain surgery". DUH!  Then at one point he asked me to stand with feet together and close my eyes and I told him that unless he was ready to catch me when I fall, I was not going to do it. He decided not to make me do it. After seeing the dr once and a psychiatrist once I was approved about 3 months after I applied.