If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may be eligible for Social Security Disability benefits to help cover living expenses while you undergo treatment. The Social Security Administration uses the “ Blue Book ” or a list of all the impairments that qualify for disability benefits, to determine who is eligible to receive benefits.
How does social security support people with cancer?
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) is a federal disability insurance benefit earned by people who have worked and paid into Social Security. It’s only available to people who have disabilities that keep them from working. If you have cancer, you may be able to have your SSDI application processed more quickly.
Does cancer qualify for Social Security disability approval?
Jun 04, 2018 · People with certain cancers may be eligible for a Compassionate Allowance. Compassionate Allowances are cases where individuals have medical conditions so severe they obviously meet Social Security’s disability standards, allowing us to process the cases quickly with minimal medical information.
Are you eligible for financial assistance if you have cancer?
Can I get Social Security disability benefits for metastatic cancer?
What benefits are cancer patients entitled to?
Can I get more money from Social Security if I have cancer?
How can I get money for cancer treatment?
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Information on public assistance and food stamps.
- U.S. Administration on Aging. ...
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ...
- Social Security Administration. ...
- Needy Meds. ...
- CancerCare® Co-Payment Assistance Foundation. ...
- Good Days. ...
- HealthWell Foundation.
Does Social Security consider cancer a disability?
Can cancer patients get SSI?
How much money can you have in the bank with Social Security disability?
Can you be denied cancer treatment?
Certain forms of cancer treatment may also be denied as not medically necessary. Although insurance companies steadfastly maintain that they do not practice medicine, they may question your doctor's judgment and deem certain medications or therapies, even if FDA-approved, as unnecessary.Jun 17, 2021
What types of cancer qualify for disability?
- Esophageal cancer.
- Gallbladder cancer.
- Brain cancer.
- Inflammatory breast cancer.
- Liver cancer.
- Pancreatic cancer.
- Salivary cancers.
- Sinonasal cancer.
Does Medicare pay for cancer treatment?
Does cancer qualify for FMLA?
Can I claim anything if I have cancer?
Can you still get disability if you are in remission from cancer?
When Surgery Or Treatment Is Not Successful
If you had surgery to remove your tumor but it was not able to be fully (or partially) removed, it is termed "unresectable." Under the SSA's impair...
When Your Cancer Has Spread
If your cancer has spread to parts of your body that are far removed from where it originated, this is called “distant metastases.” The SSA's cance...
When Side Effects of Treatment Keep You from Working
While many cancer patients are able to undergo chemo or radiation and continue to work, for others, it is this cancer treatment, not the symptoms,...
When You Have Long-Term Side Effects from Treatment
Many cancer survivors suffer permanent side effects from their treatment for cancer; often these complications do not appear for months or years fo...
When You Became Disabled Due to Cancer
People usually do not known exactly when they contracted cancer because each cancer grows at a different rate. If your tumor was deemed inoperable...
When Will You Be Considered No Longer Disabled from Cancer
If your original cancer (and any metastases, or tumors that spread) have been successfully treated, and there is no evidence of their recurrence fo...
Is A Diagnosis of Cancer All That's Needed For Disability Approval?
Although a diagnosis of cancer is very traumatic, it is not a guaranteed approval for Social Security disability. For many forms of cancer, the can...
What Medical Evidence Is Required For A Disability Determination?
When making a disability determination and evaluating the level of impairment resulting from a malignant tumor, Social Security considers the locat...
Does Metastatic Cancer Automatically Qualify For Disability Benefits?
If an individual's carcinoma has spread beyond the regional lymph nodes, the individual will most likely be approved for disability benefits based...
Do Cancer Cases Qualify For Permanent Disability Payments?
No Social Security disability approval can be considered permanent if there is a chance for medical improvement. Disability approvals based on canc...
Can you get a compassionate allowance for cancer?
People with certain cancers may be eligible for a Compassionate Allowance. Compassionate Allowances are cases where individuals have medical conditions so severe they obviously meet Social Security’s disability standards, allowing us to process the cases quickly with minimal medical information. There’s no special application or form you need ...
When is National Cancer Survivors Day?
On June 3, 2018 , we observed National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages getting checkups to provide early detection, raise awareness through education, and recognize the survivors who have gone through this battle or are still living with the disease.
How many people have cancer in 2018?
Last Updated: June 4, 2018. In 2018, more than a million people will be diagnosed with cancer around the world. This alarming statistic affects people and families everywhere. On June 3, 2018, we observed National Cancer Survivors Day in the United States. In support of this day, Social Security encourages getting checkups to provide early ...
Can cancer be recurrent?
If your tumor is removed but then returns in an area near the site of the original surgery, or if a tumor returns after chemo ro radiation, your cancer will be considered "recurrent" under the listing for your particular cancer. An recurrent cancer automatically qualifies for disability benefits under most of the cancer listings, ...
How long does cancer last?
This is durational rule for cancer is known as the "three-year rule.". Alternatively, the three-year rule also means that if disability benefits are awarded to an applicant because of his or her cancer, the disability award will stand for a minimum of three years, even if the cancer seems to have been successfully treated prior to the end ...
How to determine if you are disabled?
To determine whether you were disabled prior to the time when your cancer was found to be untreatable, the SSA will consider the following factors: 1 When you first reported symptoms to your doctor 2 What type of cancer you were diagnosed with 3 Where the cancer is located, and 4 And how far the cancer had spread when it was first diagnosed.
What is it called when cancer spreads to other parts of the body?
If your cancer has spread to parts of your body that are far removed from where it originated, this is called "distant metastases. ". The SSA's cancer listings refer to this complication as "metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes.". For instance, lung cancer often metastasizes to the liver.
Can lung cancer be metastasized?
For instance, lung cancer often metastasizes to the liver. When cancer has spread, the applicant usually qualifies for automatic approval under the cancer listings, even if the original cancer and the metastic lesion have been removed. However, if the metastases (secondary tumors) are expected to respond fully to chemo or radiation, ...
Can cancer be approved for disability?
Disability approvals based on cancer are no different. If the original tumor and any metastatic disease appear to have disappeared and have not been evident for three years or more, the impairment no longer meets the disability criteria for cancer. However, even if an individual's cancer has disappeared and has not been evident for three years ...
What are the long term side effects of cancer treatment?
In addition to physical limitations brought on my cancer or cancer treatment, the SSA will consider any long-term side effects of cancer treatment, such as cognitive issues including memory disorders and slowed thought processes.
Can cancer be recurrent?
For many forms of cancer, for a guaranteed approval, the cancer has to be inoperable versus being able to be controlled with treatment , or have distant metastases (has spread to other parts of the body), or be recurrent after surgical procedures or irradiation. However, there are certain type of cancers that are entitled to an immediate approval ...
What does SSA mean in employment?
This includes any work activity performed in jobs that the applicant has performed in the past as well as other types of jobs that the Social Security Administration (SSA) believes the applicant would be capable of performing based on his or her limitations and functional capacities.
What does a disability examiner do?
When Social Security decides whether to grant disability benefits under a "medical-vocational allowance," a disability examiner or a disability judge decides whether or not a claimant can engage in work activity while earning a substantial and gainful income. This includes any work activity performed in jobs that the applicant has performed in ...
What Cancer Conditions are Eligible to Receive Benefits?
For many aggressive cancers (such as liver, mesothelioma, pancreatic and esophageal) as well as cancers that are unable to be operated on, have returned after treatment, or those that have metastasized (spread) to other parts of the body, the application process for benefits is straight forward.
Which Cancers are Compassionate Allowances?
Within the SSA, there are some conditions that are so serious that they qualify as Compassionate Allowances. Compassionate Allowances are already identified as diseases or conditions that meet the SSA standards to receive benefits.
What Does the SSA Consider for Cancers That Do Not Qualify for Compassionate Allowance?
While the above conditions typically are automatically approved to receive benefits, there are many other types of cancers that will still qualify after the application is submitted. The SSA will look at how your cancer and treatment are impacting your ability to work and how well your cancer is responding to the treatment.
What Medical Evidence Do I Need to Apply for Benefits?
As with any disability, the SSA has a specific list of medical evidence for cancers that are required to be submitted with your disability application. While there are the standard pieces of evidence that are required for all applications, applications to receive benefits for cancer will also require the below items:
How Long Will I Receive Benefits for Cancer After I am Approved?
Cancer is a unique disability that carries a “three-year rule” in the Social Security Administration.
Can you get disability if you have cancer?
If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may be wondering if you’ll qualify for Social Security disability benefits. Unfortunately, the answer may not be a simple yes or no. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has different eligibility criteria for each applicant. Some people will qualify for disability benefits with just ...
What is the Blue Book for SSA?
The SSA uses a medical guide called the Blue Book to evaluate every cancer applicant to determine if he or she is eligible for financial assistance. Fortunately, the entire Blue Book is online, so you may be able to see if you qualify today.
What Benefits Are Cancer Patients Entitled To?
The Social Security Administration (SSA) provides financial assistance to people with many different forms of medical disability. Several types of cancer are included in the SSA’s list of covered disabilities, especially if the illness or treatment causes symptoms that prevent you from working.
How Social Security Works for People With Disabilities
One of the most widely used Social Security benefits is the SSA’s disability program. This benefit, known as SSDI, pays cash support for people whose medical or mental health conditions prevent them from working to support themselves or their dependents.
Does Cancer Count as a Disability for Social Security?
The SSA lists several types of cancer in Section 13.00 of its online Blue Book. If you have any of the types of cancer listed in this section, you should automatically qualify for benefits regardless of the stage your cancer was detected in. Typically, the SSA recognizes particularly disabling and hard to treat cancers as automatic disabilities.
How to Apply for Benefits for People with Cancer
If you and your doctor think you might be eligible for SSDI as a result of a cancer diagnosis, you can apply for benefits through your local Social Security office. Your doctor will have to fill out a form describing your condition, if it isn’t already listed in the Blue Book, and you might be called for a phone interview.
