To qualify for SSD benefits for HIV/AIDS you will have to meet the specific requirements of the Social Security Administrations official listing of the disease. This is not all; you will also require extensive documentation to prove that you have been diagnosed with HIV as well as a serious complication or other opportunistic disease.
The diagnosis:
You must have in your possession proof positive that you have AIDS or you are HIV positive. There are a host of ways that show you are infected by HIV, these include lab tests and other medical tests. If your tests took place in a hospital the SSA will make every effort to get the results but any costs associated with getting the tests are borne by yourself, the SSA will not pay for the lab or other tests.
There are a number of tests which are acceptable to the SSA; these include an HIV antibody test, HIV antigens seen in your specimen, a positive viral teat and others. Having the results of one of these tests is ideal but in the event you do not, you can prove your condition through your medical records or a positive diagnosis through medical evidence. It may be possible for you to prove HIV/ AIDS if you are diagnosed with an opportunistic disease that has no other cause other than HIV or full-blown AIDS.
It is important to recognize that SSD benefits for HIV/AIDS will not be granted if only CD4 cell tests are the only proof you have that you are HIV positive. Although a CD4 cell count is an indication of a weak immune system it is not enough to prove your HIV status. A CD4 test can be used but it is not enough if that alone is all the evidence you have.
Effects of treatment:
Even if you do not meet the disability listing as demanded by the SSA there is a chance that you will still be SSD benefits for HIV/AIDS if the medications that you have been prescribed affect your ability to function normally. Social Security looks for both the side effects of the medication as well as the effectiveness of such medications. Social Security tends to focus on the adverse reactions that you have, they look at the level of difficulty of following your treatment plan, how long the plan is in effect and the effects of the medication on your mental ability and function.
SSD benefits for HIV/AIDS is available but the agency demands elaborate documentation far in advance of CD4 cell counts before they approve benefits. Browse the site grundydisabilitygroup.com to get more info.
