Can I Get Disability for Diabetes?

Almost 30 million American suffer from diabetes and 86 million have prediabetes. Along with the associated health risks like an increased chance of kidney failure or heart disease, both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes can have a severe impact you ability to work.

Disability insurance is designed to compensate you if you too disabled to work, but does diabetes diagnosis qualify as a disability under the law?

What Type of Disability?

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are listed as qualifying endocrine disorders for social security disability benefits for adults. The Social Security Administration notes that "Both type 1 and type 2 DM are chronic disorders that can have serious disabling complications that meet the duration requirement." And while both conditions can be managed, "some persons do not achieve good control for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, hypoglycemia unawareness, other disorders that can affect blood glucose levels, inability to manage DM due to a mental disorder, or inadequate treatment."

If you have diabetes and are unable to work, you should file a claim with your disability insurer. If you don't have a private disability policy, you can check to see if you are eligible for Social Security Disability.

SSDI and Disability Insurance Policies

You should be aware that private disability insurance policies and Social Security Disability Insurance are two separate programs. With private disability insurance (which can cover both short and long term disability), the benefits will vary depending on the type of plan you have. While SSDI may only cover workers above a certain age and normally caps benefits at a predetermined amount.

Disability insurance is also not the same workers' compensation insurance, which only applies if you are injured at work. While workers' comp benefits are the only option for work-related injuries, you may also be eligible for disability benefits if those benefits are higher than the workers' comp. You can also receive disability benefits if you're workers' comp claim is being contested or has been denied.

Filing for disability benefits can be complicated. If you have questions about filing a disability claim, or your disability claim has been denied, you may want to talk to an experienced disability attorney in your area.

Related Resources:

• Was your long-term disability insurance claim denied? Have your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)
• Why Hire a Disability Lawyer? (FindLaw's Injured)
• FAQ for Disability Insurance Denial (FindLaw's Injured)
• Disability Insurers and the Claim Process (FindLaw)