What's age got to do with it?

Question from Phran:

I heard that SSA uses your age to decide whether or not you are disabled. If this is true, I don't think it's fair! Shouldn't disability be based solely on your medical condition?

Response from Alan:

Hi Phran--

Age CAN have a role in SSA's disability decision, but perhaps not in the way you think.

The decision is a multi-step process. If your condition doesn't meet a published level of severity (a "listing") but is clearly serious, the next step is to evaluate your "residual functional capacity," the things you are still able to do in spite of what's wrong.

Age can play a role in that part of the decision. For instance, I have gradually come to understand that I'm not 18 anymore, and have no business playing basketball. (In fact my cardiologist says I have no business doing a good many other things, but my KNEES clearly told me about the basketball!!) It would be unreasonable to assume that at 60 I could expect the same flexibility and endurance from my body that I had at 18.

In considering age, the decision makers rightly recognize that an older body probably has less residual functional capacity than a younger one.

However there is no difference in the medical listings; a young person and an older person must still have mean PAH of over 40 to meet that section of the listings. Age only matters if those listings are not met.

Hope that helps some.

Alan

October 17, 2008