Can you get short term disability for high blood pressure? Discover eligibility rules, medical proof needed, and how complications from hypertension can qualify you for benefits.
Millions of individuals throughout the world have hypertension, which is also known as high blood pressure. If you don’t get treatment, it can develop into serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, and eye damage. That’s why it’s nicknamed the “silent killer.” Having high blood pressure by itself might not always be a concern, but it could lead to major health problems that make you miss work. People who have high blood pressure often question whether they can collect short-term disability (STD) compensation.
Short-term disability insurance can aid those who can’t work for a short period because of an illness, injury, or other medical condition. This article will talk about whether having high blood pressure makes you eligible for short-term disability, how it affects your eligibility, and what you can do if you want to apply for STD benefits because you have high blood pressure.
What is a disability that only lasts for a brief time?
Short-term disability insurance is supposed to pay an employee’s wages for a short time, usually a few weeks to a few months, when they can’t work because of a health problem. This payout is meant to cover some of the employee’s regular pay, usually between 50% and 70%, depending on the employer’s insurance policy or the state’s disability benefits program.
People can become temporarily disabled if they have mental or physical health problems that stop them from doing their job. Some typical reasons are injuries, surgeries, maternity leave, mental health issues, and serious illnesses like heart disease, cancer, or lung problems.
Can high blood pressure keep you from working for a short time?
Most people think of high blood pressure as a chronic condition that doesn’t always make it hard to complete ordinary tasks. It can be hard for someone to conduct their job for a short time if their high blood pressure isn’t adequately controlled or produces more significant concerns. The worst thing about high blood pressure is that it doesn’t always exhibit symptoms until it’s already done a lot of damage to the body. If not treated or managed correctly, high blood pressure may give rise to a range of health concerns that could be deadly. These include stroke, heart failure, and kidney illness, which could all make someone eligible for short-term disability.
Remember that having high blood pressure alone, even if it’s in its early stages or well-managed, is not likely to be a reason to apply for short-term disability. If high blood pressure makes it hard for you to work, though, like with severe chest pain, dizziness, vision problems, or stroke-like symptoms, you may be able to seek STD benefits. High blood pressure can sometimes signal a broader health issue, making it hard to work.
When does having high blood pressure stop you from working?
To earn short-term disability compensation, your condition has to make it exceedingly hard for you to work. This could happen if high blood pressure worsens or causes more issues. For example:
Heart disease is more likely to happen if you have high blood pressure. This can lead to heart attacks or heart failure. You might not be able to work for a long time if you have a heart attack or are diagnosed with heart failure because of high blood pressure over a lengthy period. You can earn STD benefits because of this.
Stroke:
A stroke is an illness that develops when the brain’s blood flow ceases. Having high blood pressure for a long period is one of the most common things that might lead to a stroke. If you have a stroke because of high blood pressure, you may need to take time off work to heal. This could make you eligible for short-term disability.
Kidney Disease:
High blood pressure may additionally harm your kidneys over time. Hypertensive nephropathy is the name for this. This could make you sleepy, bloated, and unable to focus, making it hard for you to do your job. If your kidneys fail or you have other major conditions, you might need to take time off from work. You might also be able to get short-term disability.
Severe Complications:
High blood pressure can lead to other issues, such as visual impairments (due to damage to the retina) or severe headaches (which could signify hypertensive encephalopathy). These issues could make you unable to do things for a short time.
Some medicines for treating high blood pressure can make you dizzy, sleepy, or difficult thinking clearly. You might be able to seek STD benefits if these side effects are so serious that you can’t work.
How to Get Short-Term Disability Benefits If You Have High Blood Pressure
If you have high blood pressure and wish to receive short-term disability, you need to perform a few important things:
Talk to Your Doctor:
You must see your doctor regularly and follow their treatment regimen to control your high blood pressure. Your doctor can provide you with paperwork that describes your condition and how it impacts your capacity to work if your blood pressure stays high or you have other concerns. This will be very important documentation when you apply for short-term disability.
Get a diagnosis of related problems:
As was noted before, having high blood pressure alone may not be enough to get STD benefits. You need to have a diagnosis, including heart disease, stroke, or kidney issues, that makes it hard for you to perform your job. Your doctor will have to write down these diagnoses.
Provide Medical Evidence:
To get short-term disability, you need to demonstrate documentation of your medical condition, including detailed information about how high blood pressure has made it hard for you to work. This could mean:
Blood pressure readings over time
Records of health problems that are connected, such as heart attacks and strokes
Your doctor wrote down your symptoms and restrictions.
Results of tests like MRIs, EKGs, or kidney function tests
Submit Your STD Application:
Once you have all the necessary papers, you must claim short-term disability to your employer or the insurance company. A claims adjuster will usually look at your application and the papers you sent in and assess if you may get benefits.
Getting short-term disability for high blood pressure is hard.
If you have high blood pressure, you may be able to seek short-term disability benefits, but a lot of individuals have problems acquiring them. Some of these issues are:
No Clear Symptoms:
In the beginning, high blood pressure usually doesn’t have any symptoms, which makes it hard to prove that it’s making it hard for you to do things. It could be hard to show that your high blood pressure is disabling unless you have had complications.
Medical Evidence Requirements:
It could be challenging to find convincing medical evidence that high blood pressure is directly linked to not being able to work, especially if you don’t have a related condition like heart disease or stroke.
Policies of Insurance Companies:
Every insurance policy or disability benefits program has its own set of rules and regulations. Some plans could not cover chronic disorders like high blood pressure, or might need documentation that isn’t always easy to get.
Length of Coverage:
Even if you are eligible for short-term disability, the coverage may not last long. Most short-term disability policies cover you for several weeks to a few months. If your illness makes you disabled for a lengthy time, you might need to look into other options, such as long-term disability insurance.
To sum up
Having high blood pressure by itself isn’t normally enough to earn short-term disability benefits. Still, it could trigger difficulties that make it hard for you to work and make you eligible for coverage. If high blood pressure leads to major health problems, including heart attack, stroke, or renal damage, you may be able to receive STD. But to acquire short-term disability, you need to have the necessary medical documents, a diagnosis of related disorders, and proof that you can’t work.
Suppose you have high blood pressure and are thinking about applying for short-term disability. You should talk to your doctor, collect the necessary medical paperwork, and check your insurance policy or employer’s benefits program to determine your eligibility. Identifying and managing high blood pressure early helps minimize the risk of issues, which could mean you don’t have to file for disability compensation.