My Meniere's Disease Story — I Received a Cochlear Implant: Can I File for Social Security Benefits?

Hello there, I have had tinnitus for about 2 long years. It is destroying my life little by little. The ringing in my ears is really bad, it goes from bad to horrible, I cannot concentrate and sleep, I'm fatigued and headaches are always with me.

I am deaf on the left ear and my hearing on the right ear is tremendously affected. I was using hearing aids but stopped using them since I got Meniere's Disease. The hearing aid could not help anymore.

After several visits to my ENT doctor and different treatments with drugs, he suggested me to have a Cochlear Implant surgery for the right ear thinking that it might help somewhat to restore my hearing loss and the ringing in my head. The surgery was done last December 2020. It has been six months and not real benefit from it yet. According to my audiologist and ENT doctor, my improvement will be very slow.

Luckily I had only 3 small episodes of vertigo when all of this started and my balance didn't get affected as much as my hearing.

I still have trouble to understand speech and my long term disability benefit is coming to an end. I have not been working for all this time and don't know what to do next after losing my benefits from work. Working there is not an option anymore, my speech recognition has not improved at all, it will not be safe for me and the others to come back to work. I am a liability to the company.

My question here is: Can I file for Social Security Benefits?

How I am going to pay my bills after losing my job and medical benefits? I will have to stop visiting my doctor and I don't really see a good future ahead of me. Thanks.

 

Very sorry to read this. In Europe you wouldn’t have much problem with getting disability.

Hopefully some locals chime in, I think knowing about applying process and procedures are of great importance for the outcome no matter what country.

Perhaps you could get doctors to write about the mental aspect of it all. Often if the system won’t work with you, then playing the “psych“ card can get you where you want. Hopefully you shouldn’t need that.

 

Thank you for your understanding, and yes I hope to get some advice soon from Tinnitus Talk members. I understand the tinnitus behavior is different in every person and the local government is different in every state here in the United States. Thank you for your prompt response.

 

How did they classify you for 'long term disability'?

 

Here in Florida, USA, I applied for short term disability first. I was approved for 30 days but to be extended if needed. STD is for (3 months).

Due to the cochlear implant surgery and not showing fast recovery within 4 weeks then the doctor requested more time so they extended my short term disability and gave me another 3 months so all together seems like long term disability.

I have received benefits for 6 months and now it is over and they want me back to work but they found out that I am not ready so I am waiting for their response and see if it can be extended again but I doubt it.

I hope this is the right answer you are looking for.

 

@MIV, I wish there was better treatments or a cure. Most people I know had to get a lawyer for SSI.

 

I hope I don't have to get a lawyer. I will wait for my job resolution and then apply for SSA benefits through their website. I know it is difficult to qualify so will see.

Are you getting any better?

 

Thanks for asking. I am into my 7th month of a tinnitus spike. From my experience it'll take me 12-18 months to fully habituate.

@MIV, are you 62 or older? That makes you SSA age but if you are younger than 62 your option is SSI. A combination of vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss can make you eligible for Social Security disability benefits. The Social Security Administration has awarded disability benefits (both SSI and SSDI) for Meniere's disease.

 

My mistake, yes, SSI. I am 51 but I am worried that vertigo is not really my disability. I only got 3 small episodes of vertigo when my tinnitus first started, so tinnitus and hearing loss are the worst part of Meniere's disease for me.

I hope I could qualify to make my life a little easier.

Thanks for the information.

 

Go for it and good luck! Start the process ASAP.

 

Sure, thanks.