When a person in Kissimmee is suffering from a medical issue, the first priority is to receive a diagnosis and treatment. Secondary issues also come to the forefront when the illness or condition is such that it will cost a significant amount for long term care and the person is not able to work. One prominent medical problem that is difficult for the person suffering from it and the family is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. Knowing how the Social Security Administration views this is the first step to being approved for Social Security disability benefits for illness.
ALS is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease after one of the most famous sufferers, the Hall of Fame baseball player for the New York Yankees, Lou Gehrig. It is a neurological disease and negatively affects the neurons that control a body’s voluntary muscles. These neurons degenerate and the muscles are no longer able to receive messages for normal function. There is a wasting and twitching as a result. The person will be essentially trapped in his or her own body with an inability to care for themselves. There is no known cause for this condition.
There is not a test to specifically determine if a person has ALS. Medical professionals rely upon what they find through neurological exams and imaging tests. While there are drug treatments for ALS, there is not a cure for it yet. As the disease progresses, there will be a decrease in the person’s ability to care for him or herself. The muscles will atrophy or shrink. Respiratory failure is a frequent cause of death of people who have ALS.
Being diagnosed with ALS is difficult enough knowing what the future likely holds in the current medical climate. Add to that the medical costs a person who is disabled with ALS will be confronted with and it can cause extensive problems for everyone involved. Those suffering from ALS might received approval for SSD benefits. These are in place to help those who are suffering from ALS and other conditions or illnesses. Discussing the matter with an attorney adept at pursuing benefits from the SSA is a wise decision.
Source: ssa.gov, “DI 23022.100 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS),” accessed on May 19, 2015
