Disability Benefits for Cancer

Cancer is not something anyone wants to hear their doctor say because of the psychological and physical effects this disease can cause. Chemotherapy and biological treatments only add to the negative effects. This makes holding a job challenging due to the unpredictable nature of certain symptoms and the scheduling overlaps between work and treatment.

Social security disability benefits are offered to cancer patients to make up for lost wages or low income. In some cases, you may be denied these benefits. Talk to a Philadelphia disability lawyer if this happens to you.

Short-Term and Long-Term Benefits

Social security benefits offers two main types of benefits that depend on a person’s current circumstances. These benefits provide payments to cancer patients to cover basic life expenses like food and shelter.

Short-term disability benefits are given to patients who will be missing work for brief medical treatment. This means patients can keep their job for up to 6 months of absence and still receive income. The income is paid to them by short-term disability insurance. Disability insurance can be bought by the patient or through an employer. These benefits vary and can cover anywhere from 55 to 100 percent of your salary for a limited period of 26 weeks.

Long-term disability benefits cover expenses for conditions that will last longer than 12 months or cancers that are diagnosed as terminal. These benefits can be purchased in the same way as short-term disability benefits. Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income are both offered for these types of situations, but patients must qualify as disabled according to their policies.

Social Security Disability Insurance usually only accepts patients who have contributed to Social Security for several years through paychecks. Social Security Income is solely based on income.

Applying for Cancer Disability Benefits

The benefits you receive while applying for disability will vary depending on what type of cancer you have been diagnosed with, whether the cancer is terminal, and on how long the cancer will be expected to last. These specific benefits can be found in the Blue Book on the Social Security Administration website.

Patients with an aggressive form of cancer that spreads quickly need benefits right away. This is why the Social Security Administration offers a Compassionate Allowance program, which reviews applications faster for patients with aggressive cancer. A patient must have a cancer that has spread, is inoperable, or recurrent to qualify for this program.

You will need evidence to apply for any of the above benefits. Evidence means medical records, doctor notes, and explanations for how current symptoms impair work performance. Be patient with the application process and fill out the forms as accurately as you can. Leaving something blank could slow down the process.

Long-Term Disability Lawyer in Philadelphia

Consider talking to a Philadelphia disability lawyer if you have been wrongfully denied short-term or long-term disability benefits as a cancer patient. You can contact the Philadelphia disability lawyers at Edelstein & Nelson by dialing (800) – 300 – 0909 for consultation. You should not have to go without proper benefits if you are suffering with a critical medical condition that affects your work performance. Let us work with you to defend your rights.

The post Disability Benefits for Cancer appeared first on Philadelphia Disability Insurance Lawyer.