Liver Transplants and Social Security Disability Claims

There are currently more than 17,000 people in the United States alone who are waiting for liver transplants. These individuals usually suffer from severe disabilities that qualify them for Social Security Disability benefits. If you are wondering how a liver transplant will affect your eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income, the following information will help you understand how the SSA qualifies individuals for benefits as a result of a liver transplant surgery.

Liver Transplant Condition and Symptoms

The liver, weighing in at about three pounds in full-grown adults, is the largest internal organ in the human body. This organ is responsible for a number of functions including the production of proteins; metabolizing nutrients; the storage of vitamins and minerals; the production of bile and the removal of toxins. The liver also helps remove bacteria from the blood, thereby helping to fight infection.

When an individual's liver isn't functioning properly, the consequences can be life-threatening, and can result in liver failure. In many cases, the liver can heal itself. However, in others, a liver transplant is necessary to ensure the survival of an individual.

When a patient undergoes a liver transplant, there are two options available. Some liver transplant patients will receive a portion of a liver from a living donor (usually a family member), while others will receive an entire liver from a deceased organ donor. The surgery itself will take twelve to six hours. Once the operation is complete, the patient will need to take time to recover and doctors will monitor the patient for any complications, such as infection or rejection of the donated organ.

The normal hospital stay for a liver transplant is between two to three weeks, but the patient will need much more time to recover once discharged from the hospital and it is not uncommon for a liver transplant patient to be re-admitted to the hospital during the first year following the procedure. Due to the complicated nature of a liver transplant and the length of time it will take an individual to recover, it is understandable that these individuals will not be able to participate in gainful work activity for quite some time. Because of this, liver transplant patients are entitled to Social Security Disability benefits.

Filing for Social Security Disability with a Liver Transplant

Liver transplants are covered under Section 5.09 of the Social Security Administration's published Medical Listings. According to these guidelines, once you have undergone a liver transplant, you will be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits for a period of one year. After that one year period has ended, the Social Security Administration will review your progress and your ability to work. If it is determined that you are still unable to work due to the liver transplant, your Social Security Disability benefits will continue. However, if the Social Security Administration finds that you are well enough to work one year after the date of your liver transplant, you will no longer be eligible for disability benefits.

To determine whether or not an individual is able to work one year after the date of a liver transplant, the SSA takes a number of factors into consideration. They will evaluate your residual impairment by reviewing the efficiency of your post-transplant liver functions, whether or not you need post-transplant anti-viral therapy and how often you have experienced organ rejection episodes and other complications over the past year. Because of this, it is very important that you keep detailed medical records documenting these issues once your liver transplant has been completed. If you cannot prove that you are still unable to work one year after the date of your transplant, your disability benefits will be stopped. If, however, you are truly unable to work and the SSA wants to revoke your benefits, you can file an appeal to overturn the SSA's decision to deny future disability payments.

A Liver Transplant and Your Social Security Disability Case

Many people hear horror stories about how the Social Security Administration rejects the majority of claims received each year. In the case of a liver transplant, however, you are guaranteed benefits for the one-year period following your transplant. It is after that one-year period that you may have to fight to keep the benefits that you are entitled to.

If, after the twelve-month eligibility period, you are still unable to work and the SSA wants to discontinue your disability benefits, you may need the help of a Social Security Disability attorney or advocate. This professional can gather the medical evidence that will be needed to prove your case to the Social Security Administration. Statistics show that your chances of retaining your benefits are significantly higher with the help of a qualified disability advocate or attorney.

To learn more about filing for Social Security Disability benefits due to a liver transplant, keeping benefits after the twelve-month period or to learn more about working with a Social Security Disability lawyer, simply fill out the form for a free evaluation of your Social Security Disability case.