Getting Heart Failure Disability Benefits in Baltimore & DC

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Social Security Disability Eases the Pressure on You

Living with heart failure can make the smallest daily tasks feel overwhelming. You may get too exhausted or short of breath to stand in the kitchen and make a meal—or even to walk across a room without needing to sit down.

It’s a serious condition that can strip away your ability to work and earn a steady income.

If your heart can no longer keep up with the physical demands of working life, you may be eligible for financial assistance from Social Security Disability benefits.

But as with many medical conditions, getting approved for benefits is tough.

At Mathis & Mathis Disability Advocates, we help people in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Alexandria and throughout Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Delaware, and Pennsylvania pursue the support they need when heart disease turns their world upside down.

We’ve helped thousands of people with serious heart problems win benefits.

Social Security Disability Is All We Do.

Read on for more about how to build a strong claim for disability benefits for heart failure.

How Does Social Security Disability View Heart Failure Disability Benefits?

The Social Security Administration (SSA) includes chronic heart failure in its official list of impairments under Section 4.02 of what people call the “Blue Book.”

Because this condition is on the list, you have a road map for getting heart failure disability benefits. The list explains symptoms and types of medical evidence to include in your application for disability benefits.

To qualify, you need to prove your condition severely limits your ability to function. This means documenting symptoms and limitations like:

Shortness of breath (dyspnea)

Persistent fatigue or weakness

Swelling in the legs or feet (edema)

Chest pain

Difficulty walking or completing simple daily tasks

The SSA will also look at medical records, such as:

Echocardiograms and electrocardiograms (EKGs)

Chest X-rays

Stress tests or exercise tolerance tests

Reports showing low ejection fraction (a measure of how well your heart pumps)

Bloodwork for markers like sodium, potassium, creatinine and more

You may also qualify if your heart failure symptoms occur alongside other impairments that together prevent you from maintaining full-time work.

The SSA recognizes two types of heart failure:

Systolic failure—when the heart struggles to pump enough blood to the body

Diastolic failure—when the heart becomes stiff and doesn’t fill with blood properly

You don’t have to meet the exact technical listing to be approved. If your symptoms, test results, and overall limitations add up to a picture of someone unable to work, you can still win benefits.

It helps to have an experienced disability advocate organize your claim clearly, completely and according to SSA rules.

Start working on your heart failure disability claim by getting a FREE case consultation with Mathis & Mathis.

Medical Complications that Help You Qualify for Heart Failure Disability Benefits

To win disability benefits for heart failure, you have to show Social Security how your heart condition interferes with your ability to function, not just in the workplace, but in life.

You must prove your condition has lasted or will last at least 12 months, and that you’re unable to perform “substantial gainful activity,” which Social Security defines as a basic amount of money you’re able to earn from working.

Common symptoms and complications that help strengthen your case include:

Shortness of breath with minimal exertion

Difficulty completing an exercise stress test

Leg swelling or fluid retention requiring medical treatment

Frequent dizziness, fainting or fatigue

Multiple hospitalizations for heart failure in a 12-month span

Cardiac arrhythmias or palpitations

Trouble with memory or concentration due to poor oxygen flow

If your doctor believes your condition is too severe for stress testing, this itself can be used as medical evidence.

You’ll need to submit full medical records, lab results, treatment plans, prescription history, and statements from your care providers. The SSA may also want third-party observations—like notes from family or friends who witness your daily struggles.

It’s hard to get over all the hurdles Social Security puts in front of you. Usually, you’ll get denied at least once and need to file an appeal.

The disability advocates at Mathis & Mathis know how to present your evidence in a way that convincingly tells your story to Social Security. You can rest easier when you know your claim is in the hands of someone experienced and capable.

Let us help you build a strong case for benefits—so you can focus on what matters most: your health and peace.

Contact Mathis & Mathis Disability Advocates in Baltimore, Virginia & DC.

Applying or Appealing, We Can Help

Whether you’re in the initial stages of applying, appealing a denial of benefits, or wondering if you qualify, Mathis & Mathis can help.

Social Security Disability FAQs

Because applying for Social Security Disability benefits can be complicated, you likely have many questions about the process. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions.

Disability FAQs »

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