Obstacles to LTD Benefits for Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is a neural disorder that negatively affects the nervous system over a span of several years. The psychological and physical impairments of this disorder worsen over time, which can have an effect on performance at work. Without a job, the medical expenses for Parkinson’s medications and doctor visits can put someone in debt if they have no one to support them financially. However, there are LTD Benefits that can help people with Parkinson’s keep a job or pay the bills.

Obstacles arise when insurance companies change claims due to a lack of evidence for the impairments of Parkinson’s. Some jobs may fail to offer appropriate accommodations for their employees and LTD Benefits can be denied if something is missing on your application. There is no need to panic though, because Philadelphia disability lawyers can offer assistance in filing for LTD benefits to ensure that you receive the help you need.

Impairments of Parkinson’s

To understand why holding a job with Parkinson’s is so challenging, it is helpful to know the symptoms of this disease. Most symptoms of Parkinson’s correspond to motor impairments that can include:

• Bradykinesia – slower overall body movement, especially in the legs
• Muscular Rigidity – overall body movement becomes stiff, sometimes accompanied with physical pain
• Muscular Tremors – shaking of the arms or legs

When combined, these muscle movements can disrupt a person’s ability to write correctly, speak clearly, walk, or maintain balance. In terms of work performance, these motor symptoms can slow down worker productivity or momentarily prevent you from completing an assigned task. On top of all this, there are also cognitive symptoms that can impair thinking:

• Attention and memory problems
• Visual hallucinations and paranoia
• Visuospatial impairments – problems between the vision and the perception of one’s body in comparison to the external environment

Visuospatial impairments alone can greatly disrupt normal hands-on work like mechanical repairs or organizing files. In severe cases, some people experience a form of dementia, which involves memory loss. As Parkinson’s becomes worse, the symptoms impair basic tasks at greater levels.

Potential LTD Benefits

LTD Benefits includes Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income, and employee accommodations. SSDI offers income supplements to help pay for bills and Medicaid, which can cover a substantial amount of your medical bills. Supplemental Security Income also offers income in the form of a monthly stipend to cover basic needs. This stipend is intended to cover house payments, food, and clothes.

Employers with Parkinson’s may be eligible for short term disability plans. These plans pay you a portion of your salary if you leave work after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s. However, these benefits all require an application process with certain criteria and if someone believes that evidence is lacking in your favor, you may be denied these benefits.

Long-Term Disability Lawyers

If you have been recently denied LTD Benefits after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and you are struggling financially as a result, then try talking to a Philadelphia disability lawyer. Contact the Philadelphia disability lawyers at Edelstein & Nelson at (800) – 300 – 0909 for consultation. We will answer your questions and will fight to repair your financial dilemma.

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