SSDI claimants who are legally blind can work and receive up to $2,460 in 2023 and still be considered disabled. Does a person with severe keratoconus qualify to receive disability? People with keratoconus, because of their weak and falling cornea are not seeing to the appropriate window. Can I get disability based on my high blood pressure and my age? All About Vision and AllAboutVision.com are registered trademarks of AAV Media, LLC. Keratoconus is a leading cause of corneal transplantation in the United States. This is done through a residual functional capacity analysis or RFC. Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone. In the United States, if a person's best-corrected visual acuity in both eyes is 20/200 or worse whether caused by keratoconus or some other condition that person is consideredlegally blindand may qualify for disability benefits. Social Security grants immediate SSI benefits to those with severe disabilities who are likely to be found eligible for benefits. 2000-2023 AAV Media, LLC. The attorney listings on this site are paid attorney advertising. Signs That You Will Be Approved For Disability, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), How to Apply for Social Security Disability. Keratoconus is an eye disease that may or may not cause loss ofvisual acuitythat is severe enough to be considered a disability. The change in corneal shape prevents this focusing action. You can apply for Social Security disability in person at your local SSA office (after the COVID-19 pandemic ends), by calling Social Security at 800-772-1213, or online at www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability. As keratoconus progresses and worsens, glasses are no longer capable of providing clear vision, and patients need to wear a contact lens, usually a hard contact lens. Does the applicant plan to stop working soon and stay out of work for at least 12 months? To get past this step, you have to have an impairment that interferes with basic work-related activities. That means that after you have completed your trial work period, you can earn as much as the SGA and not lose your monthly disability benefits. Knowledgeable people who dont have time to read all posts may skip yours if your need isnt clear in the title. Over the years I have had 4 corneal transplants (two in each eye) and three relaxation surgeries in which small incisions were made in the cornea to alter its shape. The middle layer is the thickest part of the cornea, mostly made up of water and a protein called collagen. Basic work-related activities are those that are required in most jobs and include seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, standing, sitting, and so on. Although Gulf War Syndrome does not have a diagnostic code in the VA disability rating schedule, you can receive VA disability benefits if you are a Gulf War veteran who is diagnosed with certain conditions. To qualify for disability benefits, your vision loss or blindness must meet one of the following listings: If you are blind and receive disability and you are older than 55, the determination rules that are used by the SSA arent the same ones that are used for those who arent blind. This condition is rated on the Visual Acuity Rating System. Hearing Aids, Need of Hearing Aids, Poor Hearing. However, accommodations as an employee are still within your rights as an individual with KC. Your work history and details of your education and job training, Medical records or at least accurate contact information for all your healthcare providers, including your primary care doctor, specialists, and therapists or life skills educators, Financial records, including bank statements, paystubs, and information on any other forms of benefits you currently receive, Snellen method or similar visual acuity tests: measures how well a patient can see objects based on distance and location in relation to the central field of vision, Automated static threshold perimetry or kinetic perimetry exams: document shrinking or contraction of the central field vision over time, Humphrey Field Analyzer visual field tests: documents central and peripheral vision when a patient is focused on a fixed point. Here, a claims examiner will request and review your medical records and review them. Every 60 months, disabled workers have a 9-month trial work period. These are boomerang shaped microplastic products that are inserted surgically in the cornea to reverse the curvature and restore some visin. Accommodating a person who is sensitive to . Code 6036: A corneal transplant is rated on the Visual Impairment Rating System. To find an independent attorney or advocate in your area who subscribes to the website, click here. Most CommonVADisabilities Claimed for Compensation: Can a 100 percent Disabled Veteran Work and Earn an Income? Your doctor can help you understand whether your medical records meet the SSAs requirements. During that time, you arent required to reapply for disability benefits, and you dont have to wait for review of your medical condition to have your benefits reinstated. If you have keratoconus, you may be sensitive to glare and light. Social Security requires you to have a physical examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist to measure your visual acuity. What makes keratoconus get better and worse? In fact, most claims that Social Security approves don't meet the criteria of one of the listings. These expenses may include prescriptions, medical care, medical devices, and special tools, equipment or software that you need to be able to do the job. Keratoconus occurs in approximately one in 2,000 individuals, typically beginning in puberty and progressing into the mid-30s. Parents who have children that are seriously ill can apply for SSI benefits on behalf of their child. Book a consultation with our experts today to arrange an assessment and testing. Irvine, CA 92697. To apply by phone and paper: phone Social Security Scotland free on 0800 182 2222 (8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday) to start an application. In our eye cornea acts like a lens and focuses light on the retina. To evaluate claims based on the medical evidence alone, Social Security has three "listings" in its impairment manual that apply to claims involving loss of vision. Eye disabilities are very complex to rate. Need for new eyeglass prescription every time you visit eye doctor. Many keratoconus patients are unaware they have the disease. If you're blind and over the age of 55, your earnings won't be considered SGA even if they rise over the blind SGA limitas long as the work requires a lower level of skill and ability than the work you did before the age of 55 or when you became disabled, whichever is later. Eye rubbing has been associated with keratoconus getting worse. A user who requests a free evaluation will be provided with the name of a subscriber lawyer or advocate who will contact the user to do the evaluation. Irregular astigmatism may develop slowly. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. The earnings limit usually changes from one year to the next and those figures are based on the cost of living and inflation. You can apply for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) online via the SSAs website or you can submit your SSDI application at your local Social Security office. The listing requires you to have a low "percentage of visual efficiency," a calculation that combines your central visual acuity and peripheral vision. They are independent attorneys or advocates who pay a fee to be listed on the website and have their names provided, on request, to website users. (For example, you won't meet the requirements of listing 2.02, for a loss of "central visual acuity," unless you have 20/200 vision or worse in both eyes, while you're wearing glasses or contacts.). !! During this time, your disability benefits are not in jeopardy. Disability-Benefits-Help.org is not a lawyer or a law firm. To get approved for disability for vision loss caused by keratoconus, your records should include the following, at a minimum: An easy way to apply for Social Security disability benefits is to file your claim online at www.ssa.gov/applyfordisability/. Thankfully, in most cases, treatments such asscleral contact lensesand/orcorneal cross-linkingcan prevent even advanced keratoconus from causing this level of severe vision loss. Medicare, Medicaid, and Keratoconus. Since that time I've had 4 corneal transplants: right eye in 1981 and left eye in 1983. Doctors typically provide answers within 24 hours. This test measures brainwave responses to visual stimuli that the doctor shows you. This may be caused by some imbalance between production and destruction of the corneal tissue by the corneal cells. Don't forget that to be eligible for VA disability compensation, you must first have: An honorable discharge (can't be dishonorable) A medical diagnosis of a disability condition; . You can also be blind and one eye and get disability benefits, if you have another severe health ailment with it that prevents you from being able to work full time. Your previous content has been restored. Donations to Hadit.com are tax-deductible. Our experienced specialists diagnose keratoconus using AI-powered technology. Acute injuries that are treated and resolved are usually not compensable unless they return or are considered in remission such as cancer. For example, to meet the criteria for being legally blind, your vision cant be corrected to better than 20/200 in your better eye or if your visual field is 20 degrees or less in your better eye for a period that lasted or is expected to last at least 12 months. To qualify, you must have vision in your better eye that is no greater than 20/200 when wearing corrective lenses. Bills add up quickly, particularly for patients that have lost their job and their health insurance along with it. If you are blind and receiving disability benefits, you may want to try to return to work at some point. Not sure how else to describe it, I just stare at people in the waiting room . You can post now and register later. If you're under 55, Social Security is likely to decide you have the ability to do some other type of work that doesn't require you to drive. Many jobs require you to have good peripheral vision, so Social Security has a listing for "contraction of the visual field" (listing 2.03). Those who are blind can receive up to $2,460 for per month in 2023 from disability benefits. These costs include transportation fees, home modifications, and expensive technologies that allow the blind to live independently and perform essential job duties. In some states, the information on this website may be considered a lawyer referral service. Social Security would then look to see if there are any other jobs that someone with your vision limitations could be expected to do. You could be eligible for up to $3,345 per month In SSDI Benefits, Copyright 2023 MH Sub I, LLC dba Nolo Self-help services may not be permitted in all states. I know you're only trying to help by answering my questions. The patient cannot have proper functioning of eyes. Keratoconus is a progressive disease which means that not all share the same issues at the same times or may be qualified for disability. The criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for keratoconus, for the period prior to April 22, 2009, are not met. VA only rates using the VASRD (Veterans Affairs Schedule Rating Disabilities) So this means your eye disability will be rating using the (VARS system) to be rated using the Visual Acuity Rating System. A need for frequent changes in eyeglass prescriptions. Generally speaking however, accommodation needs of employees with keratoconus are likely to be similar to those of employees with other conditions resulting in low vision and photosensitivity. 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