I got ssdi a few weeks ago for ALS. I am sending in the award letter and a letter from my neurologist stating i'm unable to work due to this for my TDIU claim. On the award letter from social security it states the diagnosis as Anterior Horn Cell Disease(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Since I had never heard of anterior horn cell disease and it is nowhere in any of my records, i had to call ssa and asked them why in the world they listed it like that. Apparently, it is the diagnosis code they use for ALS as it is an old term for the disease and they just haven't updated their system. I tried to get my neurologist to put something about in the letter they wrote to explain cuz i wonder if the va will know that it is the same thing, but she had already mailed it and thinks it will be fine. I mean you would assume they would know it is the same since it is in parenthesis. However when I called SSA to tell them I needed a letter with the diagnosis on it, the lady there read to me what was on file and she read it as "Anterior Horn Cell Disease including Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis". She had me call the disability determination office because she thought it was something else in addition. At the disability determination office,they are the ones who told me it was the same thing, just how their codes list it. But if the lady at the ssa office read it like that, what do you think the chances the va will read it that way as well. Is this something I should be worried about or mention it when I send the letters to them? Do you think they will be familiar with this term? There is information about it on the net. thanks


I would get a statement from a doctor showing the correlation between Anterior orn Cell disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Leave no doubt . The raters are not doctors and will do very little research.