Is mental illness considered a disability?

Answer 1

Mental Illness Disability

For information, resources and related links go The National Council On Disability (NCD)

If you already have a policy you can look at the terms and conditions section of the policy and see what causes of injury or illness are covered by the policy. Also, check the exclusions section to see if Bipolar disorder is excluded from coverage.

Review the options for disability coverage and if the information for the specific plan you want does not indicate whether there is coverage for bipolar disorder, then ask the insurance company and get their response in writing.

Some insurance companies do not provide disability coverage for pre-existing conditions. do you have other illness seeking medical help for/is it DLA ? You are asking about depending on the severity of your health illness you may well be entitled to this. Approach your G.P. Take it from there

More input from FAQ Farmers:

• The Social Security website contains all the information necessary (including d application forms) to determine if a person is eligible for SSD and/or SSI. Social Security Online, http:/www.ssa.gov

• The question depends on all kinds of different unknowns. Is the policy a Group or Individual Policy, What company is the contract with, are there any exclusions or riders in the policy discussing the matter, what state was the contract written? In the personal disability market many companies will provide a benefit for mental health nervousness disorders for a period of typically 2-5 years.

To provide a direct response, the answer is yes. There are many mental illnesses that can prevent a person from being capable of working and therefore eligible for disability benefits.

To determine whether a mental illness would qualify you for SSD benefits is almost impossible. It is said that in order to qualify for SSD benefits, there needs to be a strong indication that your inability to work will be ongoing for many years. As stated in the previous response, you can visit the SS website to learn more.

Regarding group or individual disability insurance policies, yes you are able to receive benefits for mental illnesses. With group coverage and many of the individual policies available in today's market place, you will see that these benefits are limited to a 24-month, lifetime benefit period. There are few companies that still offer benefits on mental illness claims for the contract's full benefit period. Additionally, mental illness can be excluded from an individual contract if it is/was an already existing condition. If you are asking this because you have an existing policy, check your contract to see if an exclusion was added. If you are asking this because you are in the market for a policy, you should know that pre-existing conditions will warrant any insurance company to exclude these benefits from your coverage.

Answer 2

Well, the definition of a disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movements, senses or activities. For mental illness just like physical illness it depends on the severity.

This is just my opinion.

Answer 3

Quick answer: You can get disability payments for being *disabled*.

In the US, if a person has depressive illness or bipolar disorder, and if the illness leaves him unable to work for more than a year, he probably can get disability. The assumption is that the illness will continue to cause the person to be unable to work. If he recovers, of course, the payments stop.

In order to get disability benefits, the person needs to be under treatment. His doctor (usually a psychiatrist) must certify that the patient is seriously ill, disabled, and likely to remain so for a year or longer. There are likely other requirements that I don't know about. You should check with Social Security to get the correct information.

The person should understand that the payments will be quite small. This should be one of the last things he tries. It's a way of avoiding homelessness, but it is not at all comfortable.

Answer 4

Well, it sounds crass, but it depends on the severity of mental illness, the history, the past treatment(s), and future prognosis. Not everyone with a mental illness gets approved---even with severe problems.

Answer 5

It depends on what the person has, and how bad it is.

Answer 6

You could get disability benefits if you can prove you can't do even a simple, unskilled job due to emotional, psychiatric, or brain-related problems.

Answer 7

If it is severe enough to keep you from working, then yes it is. However, if it is something self-inflicted that you can stop causing, then it would not be considered a disability.