How does Social Security evaluate hearing loss?

Thank-you for your information. It's good to hear some other info and another point of view.

There are people who are approved for disability benefits based upon hearing loss. However there are many people who have been denied who have filed based upon a hearing loss - I know this from personal experience in having processed their claims.

Do not forget that social security also takes into consideration a person's age, education and work experience in making the disability determination. And also don't forget that when that is taken into consideration there must be reason to believe that the person is incapable of working in ANY type of employment where they would be able to earn $1070 or more a month. In other words they are capable, in spite of their disability, of being substantially and gainfully employed.

The hearing impaired are just as intelligent as anyone else. They have had schooling and training. Most become gainfully employed. A denial is appropriate.

I was never involved in making the medical decisions. I do not know why some people get approved and some people get denied and neither does any other claims rep except in obvious cases - which is why a claims rep can't refuse to take a claim for disability if someone insists upon filing it.

The claims rep can deny claims for disability without a medical decision if someone isn't insured for social security disability, they are working and earning $1070 or more a month, they are a dac (disabled adult child) and allege they became disabled after age 22. There are all sorts of non-medical reasons why claims are denied. But if there are no non-medical reasons to deny a claim, one must be taken if the claimant wants to file.

And unless anyone here is or was a disability examiner who was training in applying social security's rules and regulations and knows how much weight to give each factor (the medical evidence, age, education and work experience) no one can really answer your question. However you can find how medical decisions are made by social security online. I've seen them and read them.

I do disagree strongly with the statement someone made that a scientist would be approved if he was unable to perform work giving him a similar salary. That is incorrect. The scientist must also be unable to work and earn $1070 a month. Usually, though, when someone like a scientist, or any other professional, becomes disabled and files for benefits they suffer from a severe disability and are just as unable to do physical labor as they are what they are used to doing.

My experience has been that when a highly educated person who has been in the work force files for disability it because of something really, really bad - like Lou Gerigs's disease or terminal cancer or diabetes which has resulted in dialysis and other symptoms. Most of the professional people I have known don't usually give it up til the bitter end. In all the years that I've done disability claims the lawyers and doctors who have filed usually ended up dying in the five month waiting period or soon after.

In tinnitus, the sounds a person hears are actually perceptions. Since there's no actual source, they are often referred to as "phantom noises". I read that about 8% of all people in the US suffer from tinnitus so you are not the only one who hears these strange noises.

Tinnitus is actually not a disease. It is actually a symptom of a problem that is rooted deep, somewhere within your body. The problem could be a simple one like an infection in the ear, or even simpler, such as ear wax. Just clear the wax and get the infection treated, and the noises could go away. In some people, it could even be the result of a side-effect of a drug they took. Or it could be more complicated.

If you want to know more about this condition and wnat to learn how to solve naturally your problems with these annoying noises you should read this ebook: http://tinnitus.toptips.org/

It helped me a lot.

People get disability benefits not only because they are unable to work, but because the price of accommodations needed to perform work and to get along in this world are high and/or because they are unable to work at a level comparable to what they once worked.This is evidenced by people with a certain degree of blindness or deafness or physical disability or medical involvement not being required to work. It is assumed that people with certain disabilities are either incapable of work, or require substantial support in order to work. A Deaf person is able to work. They have additional costs to be employed that people without disabilities do not have. These costs can be deducted from their income. It is ridiculously complicated and mostly subjective how this plays out. To partly remedy this issue, people with more severe disabilities automatically get benefits.

Also people who have a work history who become disabled are not expected to work at any possible job. They are expected to be able to work at a job of similar salary that they received before. So if you work one minimum wage job and there is another minimum wage job you can do - it is expected you will do it. On the other hand if you are a scientist and bring in a six digit income and acquire a disability that makes it impossible for you to continue your work as a scientis it is only expected that you do similarly paid work in another field, or pursue training to carry over your skills - and if there is nothing than you get beenfits - you are not expected to clean toilets.

And your question?

Okay, I know why you felt a need to post this, but when exactly is enough enough? You're not going to convince those who are always sure they're right that they might not be. Some people are physically deaf. They cannot hear. Some people choose not to listen. Either way, continuing to try and get them to listen simply isn't going to work.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are stuck listening to a one-way conversation. When is enough enough? If we stop giving attention to people who demand it for no reason, maybe they'll start getting bored with listening to themselves. Just something I keep hoping.

Added--to clarify more than one misconception:

1. This is not America. This is Yahoo Answer, an international website to ask and answer questions. A Q & A site, not a social networking site. (Hard to believe, and I've now joined in with people that don't seem to get this, but, honest. True. lol)

2. I'm disabled from botched gallbladder surgery. Doesn't that give you some insight on how much I understand how often people keep going off on the "yeah, but you 'shouldn't' be on SSDI?" It is not my duty, responsibility or mission in life to get through to those people who insist it is, indeed, my duty, responsibility or mission in life to do just that. Screw 'em. They get it. They don't get it. Either way, the fact is I was disabled from botched gallbladder surgery, am on Disability, and don't have to answer to anyone but Social Security (and God, but God believes me. lol) Some folks just don't get it, don't want to get it, and never will, no matter what disability people have or what Social Security says. That doesn't change anything.

3. Contrary to one single person's assumption that suddenly you're calling anyone out and I'm the proof, hey, again, see my second point. People will think what they will think, nothing will change that, and that's not a problem...except, this seems to be a continual childish attempt at controlling information on this particular board, and frankly I'm just plain tired of the same players playing the same unending game, while others join in to egg them on.

You're not one of those people. (That plural "people" was not a grammatical error. It's not one single tortured soul. It's a multitude of people playing this game like there will be an end to it, if they just keep repeating themselves enough.) I'm begging you, because I see reason in you, (compassion and concern), please, please don't join the fray. It gets no where, except encourages the games to continue.)

I am assuming those deaf people who have to go on disability are like me. They know there was no other choice (because honestly? Disability doesn't give enough money to make this a worthwhile gig/scam. I can think of many ways I could make easier money than this, but I'm just unable to do any of them, or I would.)They don't spend all that much time listen to the crap of those who like to tell them "get a job."

So, yes, I get you're trying to clarify the issue with the regs, but the people who need to know wouldn't stay on this board simply because it's so full of people holier-than-thou, and the people who are holier-than-thou aren't listening and never will.

I'd like this board to go back to compassionate, yet firm, instead of showing off how full of ourselves we can get. It used to be like that at one time. You're one of the people who can be, and often is, compassionate, but firm. Don't join the never-ending game. Enough is enough.