However, diabetes is among the four impairments most likely to be approved for SSDI benefits by an administrative law judge after an initial denial.¹ For many, this translates into additional months of waiting, increased stress and financial hardship.

November is American Diabetes Month -- an ideal time to examine how individuals with diabetes fare in the SSDI process. According to the National Diabetes Data Group², disability affects an estimated 20 to 50 percent of the U.S. diabetic population. Persons with diabetes, in general, report substantially higher rates of disability compared to the general population.

Diabetes can result in circulatory problems, which can limit the length of time a person can stand or walk, and lead to blindness and other repercussions, such as limb amputation. Initial application denials on claims that eventually are awarded means individuals must needlessly wait months or even years before receiving their benefits.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), in 2008, the average initial application was decided in 106 days. If a claimant appealed the decision for reconsideration (some states skip reconsideration), and then asked for a hearing before an administrative law judge, they waited another average 512 days. These delays can have devastating effects on individuals and their families.

For example, according to a September 2009 report by the SSA Inspector General³, a man from Oregon filed for disability benefits in August 2005 because of a back injury and diabetes. The Disability Determination Services denied his claim (at both the initial and reconsideration levels), and in December 2007, an administrative law judge allowed it. According to the beneficiary, he fell behind on his mortgage and medical bills while waiting for benefits. As a result, he lost his house and had to declare bankruptcy.

These initial denials that are eventually reversed also exacerbate the current SSDI backlog. As of May 2009, 755,000 people were stalled at the hearing level alone. In a March 2009 Congressional joint hearing⁴, the SSA Inspector General cited the current pattern of consistent denials and reversals as a strain on limited resources.

The issue is likely to garner more attention as diabetes continues to grow at an alarming rate, with nearly 24 million children and adults living with the disease, and another 57 million Americans at risk. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, diabetes is a leading risk factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and amputation, yet one-fourth of people who have diabetes don’t even know it.

Allsup encourages individuals to take a diabetes risk test and is offering free posters to healthcare facilities, clinics and other community groups in observance of American Diabetes Month. To request posters, please order online or call Karen Hercules-Doerr at (800) 854-1418, ext. 5770.

About Allsup
Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability, Medicare and workers’ compensation services for individuals, employers and insurance carriers. Celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2009, Allsup employs more than 600 professionals who deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. The company is based in Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis. For more information, visit www.Allsup.com.

¹ Statement for the Record, Joint Hearing on Eliminating the Disability Backlog. March 24, 2009. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income and Family Support, Subcommittee on Social Security. http://www.ssa.gov/oig/communications/testimony_speeches/03242009testimony.htm
² "Diabetes In America," 2nd edition. National Diabetes Data Group
National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIH Publication No. 95–1468, 1995.
³ Congressional Response Report, September 4, 2009, Impact of the Social Security Administration’s Claims Process on Disability Beneficiaries, A-01-09-29084. http://www.ssa.gov/oig/ADOBEPDF/audittxt/A-01-09-29084.html
⁴ Statement for the Record, Joint Hearing on Eliminating the Disability Backlog. March 24, 2009. U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income and Family Support, Subcommittee on Social Security. http://www.ssa.gov/oig/communications/testimony_speeches/03242009testimony.htm