Applying for SSDI while on employer-paid leave for dialysis treatment - timing concerns

YES! Your brother absolutely can and SHOULD apply for SSDI right away. I went through almost the exact same situation with my kidney failure last year. The key thing is that ESRD automatically qualifies for SSDI under the compassionate allowance program, which means his application should be processed much faster than typical disability cases. I applied while still on my employer's short-term disability pay and it didn't negatively affect my case at all. The important thing SSA looks at is the medical condition and whether it prevents substantial gainful activity, not whether your employer is being nice enough to provide paid leave. The Medicare part is actually separate but important - people on dialysis qualify for Medicare after a 3-month waiting period regardless of age. So even if the SSDI takes longer to process, he may get Medicare coverage before his employer insurance ends. Tell him to apply online RIGHT NOW at ssa.gov because even with compassionate allowance, it can still take 1-2 months to process.

Your brother's situation is fairly common with ESRD patients. Here's what he should know: 1. Yes, he can and should apply for SSDI while on paid leave. His employment status doesn't prevent application, and having income from paid leave is different from earning wages through active work. 2. ESRD requiring regular dialysis is on the Compassionate Allowance list, which means faster processing. 3. For Medicare: Once he's been on dialysis for 3 months, he becomes eligible for Medicare regardless of age. This is special for ESRD patients. 4. He should gather medical documentation showing diagnosis date and dialysis schedule. 5. He should mention "Compassionate Allowance - ESRD" prominently in his application. The SSDI application takes time even with expedited processing, so starting now while he has income security is smart planning.

my aunt got dialasis and ssdi last year. took about 7 weeks to get approved but she wasnt on paid leave just regular sick days. big thing is make sure he brings all his medical records when he applies shows all his treatment stuff. the ssdi people need proof.

I'm in a similar situation with ESRD and dialysis, though my employer wasn't as generous with paid leave. I applied for SSDI four weeks ago and I'm still waiting. The most frustrating part has been trying to reach someone at Social Security to check on my status. I've called dozens of times and either get disconnected or told the wait is over 2 hours. I finally found a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me through to an actual SSA representative in less than 10 minutes when I had been trying for weeks. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU My advice is to apply ASAP since even expedited claims take time, and your brother should maximize the overlap between his paid leave and waiting for approval.

Make sure he applies for both SSDI AND SSI! A lot of people don't realize you can potentially get both. SSI can sometimes come through faster.

i got denied for disability with kidney failure!!!! they said i could still do "sedentary work" even with dialisis 3x a week for 4 hours each!!! make sure he says he CANNOT WORK AT ALL on the application. they look for ANY reason to deny you. im still fighting my case 8 months later.

Social Security disability specialist here. Your brother's situation is handled under special rules for ESRD. Here are the key points: 1. ESRD with regular dialysis qualifies under Compassionate Allowance guidelines, which expedites processing. 2. He should apply immediately while still on paid leave. Being on employer-provided leave does not count as engaging in Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). 3. Medicare eligibility for ESRD patients begins on the 1st day of the 4th month of dialysis treatments. This is separate from SSDI approval. 4. When applying, he should explicitly state he has "End Stage Renal Disease requiring ongoing dialysis" and request Compassionate Allowance consideration. 5. Documentation needed: diagnosis confirmation, dialysis treatment schedule, statement from nephrologist about work limitations. Start both applications now to minimize coverage gaps. The SSDI application will not be negatively affected by his current paid leave status.

Quick update - my brother started his SSDI application online last night after reading all your helpful advice. He got stuck on the part asking about "date disability began" since he's technically still employed but on medical leave. Should he put the date of his diagnosis, the date dialysis started, or the date his leave began?

tell him good luck!!! my aunt says to make sure he brings his doctors phone numbers and addresses to the application. they ask for ALL that stuff and it slows things down if you dont have it ready