Does a kidney transplant qualify for Social Security disability?

Asked by: Tania Lubowitz  |  Last update: November 18, 2023
Score: 4.8/5 (57 votes)

If you require an organ transplant (heart, lung, kidney, liver, or bone marrow/stem cell) or are now recovering from such a procedure, then you automatically qualify for Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits.

Can I get disability if I had a kidney transplant?

Yes, kidney transplant surgery qualifies for disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Anyone who has received a kidney transplant will qualify for disability benefits for the 12 months that follow their transplant. After 12 months, the SSA will reassess the claim.

Is having an organ transplant considered a disability?

Qualifying Medically for Disability Benefits

If you ever require an organ transplant, you will be considered medically disabled for at least 12 months. After one year, the SSA will revaluate your claim and determine whether or not you are capable of work. Many people wait years to receive an organ transplant.

How much is disability for kidney disease?

The maximum disability payment you can get for kidney disease is $3,600 per month for SSDI and $914 per month for SSI in 2023. The amounts are set by law and are the same, no matter the condition — even if you qualify with multiple conditions meeting the criteria.

What stage kidney disease qualifies for disability?

If you have Stage 3 kidney disease, you might be wondering if you can get disability benefits with it, the answer is yes if expect to be out of work for at least 12 months, and meet both the medical and work requirements in order to qualify for disability benefits with kidney disease.

Kidney Failure and Social Security Disability

42 related questions found

Do people on dialysis qualify for disability?

While dialysis doesn't automatically qualify for disability, you can get monthly benefits and healthcare if your dialysis interferes with your ability to work. In 2021, the Social Security Administration (SSA) approved 155,702 workers for genitourinary diseases, some of which involve dialysis.

Does CKD qualify for long term disability?

You may claim individual or group long-term disability benefits if you develop CKD or its typical complications. Dialysis patients may also desperately need individual or group long-term disability benefits.

Is kidney failure automatic disability?

Once you have end-stage kidney disease, you may automatically qualify for disability insurance benefits. For example, the Social Security Administration's rules grant Social Security disability benefits to people who need dialysis, undergo a kidney transplant, or have very severe kidney disease symptoms.

Is kidney disease a hidden disability?

Invisible disabilities can include chronic illnesses such as renal failure, diabetes, and sleep disorders if those diseases significantly impair normal activities of daily living. For example, people with visual or auditory impairments do not wear hearing aids or eyeglasses, so they may not seem impaired.

Can I get Medicare after a kidney transplant?

Medicare offers a benefit that may help you, if you lose Part A coverage 36 months after a kidney transplant and you don't have certain other types of other health coverage (like a group health plan, TRICARE, or Medicaid that covers immunosuppressive drugs).

Are transplant patients covered under the ADA?

Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, organ transplant centers and medical professionals are often unaware that this prohibition applies to the organ transplant process.

What disqualifies you from the transplant list?

Absolute Contraindications
  • Major systemic disease.
  • Age inappropriateness (70 years of age)
  • Cancer in the last 5 years except localized skin (not melanoma) or stage I breast or prostate.
  • Active smoker (less than 6 months since quitting)
  • Active substance abuse.
  • HIV.
  • Severe local or systemic infection.

What disease is after kidney transplant?

People with kidney transplants are at greater risk for heart disease. There are many causes for heart disease including: previously being on dialysis, smoking, diabetes, being overweight, hypertension, high cholesterol and blood lipids, and more years on dialysis.

How long is your immune system compromised after a kidney transplant?

About 6 months to a year after transplant, the immunosuppression is usually lowered and the chance of side effects should be low.

Are kidney transplant patients on immunosuppressants for life?

The medicines you will be taking after your transplant to keep your body from rejecting your new kidney are called immunosuppressants. You will have to take these medicines every day for as long as you have your transplant.

Can you work full time with kidney disease?

Many people with kidney disease or kidney failure work full-time or part-time. Having a job may help you feel good, make money to do things you enjoy and help you get health insurance.

What is the creatinine level for stage 4 kidney disease?

Stage 4 Severe CKD (GFR = 15-29 mL/min)

What is considered kidney impairment?

Kidney failure (renal failure) means one or both of your kidneys no longer function well on their own. Kidney failure is sometimes temporary and develops quickly (acute). Other times it's a chronic (long-term) condition that slowly gets worse. Kidney failure is the most severe stage of kidney disease.

What stage of kidney disease is considered chronic?

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is defined as kidney damage or an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 ml/min/1.73 m persisting for three months or more irrespective of the cause. CKD is usually asymptomatic till stages IV and V.

Can you work while on dialysis?

With some adjustment to schedule and lifestyle, many are able to continue working while on dialysis.

Can I claim PIP for kidney disease?

The impact of dialysis, multiple hospital visits, and the use of drugs are some issues kidney patients face that are often ignored by assessors. They may need help with the most basic of human needs, such as eating, washing, dressing and simply moving around, yet will not be accepted for PIP or ESA.

What organ is not working if you need a dialysis?

Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly.

Does stage 4 kidney failure require dialysis?

A person with stage 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) has advanced kidney damage with a severe decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to 15-30 ml/min. It is likely someone with stage 4 CKD will need dialysis or a kidney transplant in the near future.

What benefits do people with ESRD get?

People with ESRD can choose either Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan for their Medicare coverage. Original Medicare includes Part A and Part B. You can join a separate Medicare drug plan to get Medicare drug coverage (Part D). You can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S.