The reason you are not automatically awarded disability is because those symptoms can be symptoms of a myriad of disorders, and unlike Parkinson's diseazse (PD), some symptoms are only temporary. One example is Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus (NPH). It presents with the same symptoms and is often originally misdiagnosed as Parkinson's. NPH is a temporary condition;
(http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/n...rocephalus.htm ) Parkinson's is progressive; it only gets worse.

Also, the degree at which you have these symptoms is another reason that disability is not automatically given. One very generalized scale that is used to tell which stage of Parkinson's one is in is the Hoehn & Yahr Scale: ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoehn_and_Yahr_scale ) If you have tremor only on one side, you are said to be in early stages of PD. Bilateral tremor or balance problems places one in a higher category of staging.

For a long time, Parkonism or Parkinson's was not accepted as a disabling condition. It took years to finally get it with that designation. Now with impending Medicare reform, I am afraid they will take it back off this list. Keep apprised of information like that so that you can get your legislators involved. A good group or organization to keep up with such issues is the Parkinson's Action Network (PAN). www.parkinsonsaction.org

I hope this has helped.
Peg