Sleep Apnea and disability?

Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

Only by Blood Sucking Socialists, seeing as it's a treatable condition for the most part for those willing to put in the effort to make it work. Jim

I'm sure there are parasites out there getting paid for having Sleep Apnea, due to the poor oversite of our government, while people with real disabilites can't afford help. That's why we have lawyers.....

Only in the military, AFAIK.
The logic escapes me.

AnotherMe wrote:Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

With OPTIMIZED, faithful, CPAP therapy, it shouldn't be an issue. It would be as if you didn't have sleep apnea at all.


Den

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For purposes of air travel, the Air Carrier Access Act considers needing to use a CPAP machine as a disability.

For employment/SSDI purposes, I wouldn't consider it to be such.

Wulfman... wrote:

AnotherMe wrote:Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

With OPTIMIZED, faithful, CPAP therapy, it shouldn't be an issue. It would be as if you didn't have sleep apnea at all.


Den

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And there are many people in this situation who are fully compliant with cpap therapy with great AHIs who feel worse. Whether that qualifies someone for disability is another post but please don't make the assumption that just because someone is fully compliant that they are fully functional when that isn't the case for a certain percentage of people. Dr. Steven Park talks about this on his website.

49er

Along with those who inexplicably don't find complete resolution with treatment, there are are those who have brain damage from the bouts with oxygen deprivation. There is no one size fits all answer. Disability determination requires demonstrable significant compromise of abilities. I would hope that anyone whose consequences have left them impaired to that degree could get whatever assistance they are entitled to. I have no idea the stats on it, just thinking those cases would by far be the exception. I am on disability, but OSA was probably the least weighty of my listed diagnoses.

Inability to tolerate treatment, like that due to PTSD, might be a factor to be considered.
I would think that disability due to related disorders would be more common.
Like KTeague says, cumulative damage from years of non-treatment could be very disabling.
Of course, being disabled is not something to voluntarily seek; and fakers get caught!

49er wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:

AnotherMe wrote:Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

With OPTIMIZED, faithful, CPAP therapy, it shouldn't be an issue. It would be as if you didn't have sleep apnea at all.


Den

.

And there are many people in this situation who are fully compliant with cpap therapy with great AHIs who feel worse. Whether that qualifies someone for disability is another post but please don't make the assumption that just because someone is fully compliant that they are fully functional when that isn't the case for a certain percentage of people. Dr. Steven Park talks about this on his website.

49er

Life doesn't come with a "Rose Garden" guarantee, sometimes it's about making the best of it, as it's dealt. Sucking the government's milk factory isn't a cure. Life is a process. Jim

Goofproof wrote:

49er wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:

AnotherMe wrote:Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

With OPTIMIZED, faithful, CPAP therapy, it shouldn't be an issue. It would be as if you didn't have sleep apnea at all.


Den

.

And there are many people in this situation who are fully compliant with cpap therapy with great AHIs who feel worse. Whether that qualifies someone for disability is another post but please don't make the assumption that just because someone is fully compliant that they are fully functional when that isn't the case for a certain percentage of people. Dr. Steven Park talks about this on his website.

49er

Life doesn't come with a "Rose Garden" guarantee, sometimes it's about making the best of it, as it's dealt. Sucking the government's milk factory isn't a cure. Life is a process. Jim

Jim,

You're missing the point. The issue isn't about being optimistic vs. pessimistic.

It is about claiming benefits that you are entitled to under the law. If someone is unable to work due to the circumstances that kteague and I have mentioned, that is not sucking the government's milk money no matter how much you want to spin it otherwise.

49er

AnotherMe wrote:Has anyone known of anyone who collected disability for sleep apnea because they could no longer work? I would hate to have to do that and I probably never would. I'm just curious if it has been done by anyone here.
Thanks

Let's try this again, from a different perspective.

NO, I have not read or heard of ANYONE on this forum who has done it. And, I've been here about 9 1/5 years. I also realize it's a category of disability with the ADA. But, from what I've read, I can't find whether it applies to those who are using or are not using this therapy.

And, for those who feel "worse" trying to use this therapy, the probability is that their therapy isn't "optimized" or they may have other medical issues.......the latter of which may qualify them for some other disability category.


Den

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Of course the disability system is rife with abuse. That's the part that needs fixed. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Those with legitimate claims should not be criminalized or demoralized when their situation is already dire.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throw_out_ ... bath_water
Throw out the baby with the bath water is an idiomatic expression and a concept[1] used to suggest an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad,[2] or in other words, rejecting the essential along with the inessential.[3].......

From what I understand...in order to collect government disability, the person must have a permanent disability...one that cannot be cured or controlled. That person will collect ss disability until they are old enough to collect social security. Personally I don't see OSA falling into that category.

Actually on the soc sec list of disabilities sleep disordered breathing is a class of disability but you have to be pretty bad with lung gas exchange issues pulmonary hypertension and cyanosis.
Requires a lot of pulmonary function testing lots of Drs appts and basically you have to at least be in the 3rd stage of COPD.
Hopefully you are not that bad

Thanks for your replies. Like I said, I have no intention on looking into disability for sleep apnea. I was just curious about it since I looked it up and found there were cases.