Chapter Three, Course WB1032
Disability
By definition, all patients with CFS are functionally impaired. Studies have shown a marked shift from premorbid employment status, when most worked full-time, to a substantially decreased number being able to maintain full-time employment after becoming ill. CDC studies of functional impairment currently at press report that CFS patients have measurable impairment comparable to or more severe than patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, rheumatoid arthritis and chronic osteomyelitis. CDC estimates that 25% of CFS patients are unemployed or receiving disability benefits due to these impairments.
The application process for disability benefits is often protracted and frustrating for both patients and health care professionals.
When a patient applies for disability benefits, treating professionals are a major source of pertinent information.
For more information and resources on disability issues, including documentation, assessment instruments and Social Security guidelines, see 
Appendix A (PDF – 150KB).
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Content Source: National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-Borne, and Enteric Diseases (ZVED)