How To Get Social Security & SSI Disability: Sickle Cell Disease

Winning Your Sickle Cell Disease Case

You or your child can win your Social Security disability and SSI benefits sickle cell disease case by adhering to Social Security’s –

1. Non-Medical Criteria, and
2. Disability Criteria.

With the disability criteria, it is necessary –

1. You understand how Social Security evaluates sickle cell disease (covered here),
2. You satisfy the Social Security Sickle Cell Disease Listing (also covered here) or you have disabling Functional Limitations, and
3. You Submit Winning Evidence.

Social Security’s Medical Evidence Review

Social Security handles a limited number of sickle cell disease disability cases. Sickle cell disease is a severe blood disorder where red blood cells become deformed into a sickle shape and block blood flow in the body. The disease is also called sickle cell anemia because anemia is a medical condition when your blood cells cannot carry sufficient oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues. Blood carries oxygen. Sickle cell disease is an inherited one meaning we get it from our parents – a child inherits one sickle cell gene from mom and one sickle cell gene from dad. There is no cure.

With sickle cell disease, it is critical you support your Social Security and SSI disability case with medical and other types of evidence to prove your disabled. Social Security will need medical evidence of your diagnosis which is mostly done by a simple blood test. Sometimes genetic testing is done.

When Social Security reviews your medical evidence, it will look for common symptoms that generally include pain, swelling, infections, fatigue, and stunted growth. A “sickle cell crisis” is a symptom when sickled cells get block blood flow in a certain part of the body causing pain and swelling. In severe cases, symptoms include stroke or organ damage. Sickle cell disease can cause premature death in very young children.

Social Security will also review your medical records and evaluate your medical treatment. Successful treatment is not yet well understood, and therefore, treatments vary. Usually, treatment is reduced to managing symptoms such as pain and fatigue, infections, and overall sickness with medications. Antibiotics are typical to help prevent infections. Narcotics are usually given for pain. Blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants are performed in some cases but provide only temporary relief.

Social Security Sickle Cell Disease & SSI Listings

Satisfying the Step 3 Adult Listing 7.05 and the Child Listing 107.05 requires one of the following:

1. Frequent exacerbations requiring narcotic pain medications;
2. Exacerbations of anemia requiring multiple hospitalizations;
3. Repeated episodes of low hemoglobin; or
4. Beta thalassemia major (a severe type of anemia) complications necessitating life-long red blood cell transfusions.