The Social Security Administration (SSA) offers two different programs for those who are disabled: the Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income. These two sources of aid are meant to help you pay for medical bills as well as basic needs that you may be not be able to pay for due to your injury or health condition. In order to qualify for either of these programs, you must fit the SSA's definition of disability.

The SSA looks at many different things to determine if you are truly disabled and incapable of working. However, as part of their checklist, the agency will see if your injury or condition is on the listing of impairments. The SSA developed the listing of impairments as a way to expedite the disability benefit approval process. The administration created a list that contains health issues which automatically qualify you for disability coverage.

The listing of impairments is divided into two different parts to further speed up the approval process, part A and part B. Part A is primarily for adults, while part B is only for children under the age of 18. The reason for this division is because injuries and disorders can affect children and adults differently. Sometimes, certain disease are only found in children and not in adults. However, the SSA will always check part B first for childrens' disabilities, but if an additional criteria are needed, they will refer to part A afterward.

Part A of the listing of impairments is subdivided into the different body systems to make searching for the condition as easy as possible. The body systems available on this list, along with some of their associated problems, include:
Musculoskeletal – amputations, spinal injuries
Special senses and speech – loss of visual acuity, hearing impairments
Respiratory – asthma, cystic fibrosis
Cardiovascular – recurrent arrhythmia, symptomatic congenital heart disease
Digestive – chronic liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease
Genitourinary impairments – impairment of renal function
Hematological disorders – sickle cell disease, hemophilia
Skin disorders – ichthyosis, dermatitis
Endocrine – hyperparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus
Neurological – epilepsy, brain tumors
Mental disorders – schizophrenia, mental retardation
Malignant neoplastic diseases – lymphoma, leukemia
Immune system disorders – scleroderma, HIV
Impairments that affect multiple systems

In some cases, if you can prove that your disorder is very similar to one on the listing of impairments, you may be able to qualify for disability benefits. Either way, if you need help in filing for long-term disability, you should consult a lawyer about your options. For more information, check out the long-term disability attorneys from the Charles D. Hankey Law Office, P.C., today.