Do I Qualify For Disability Insurance Benefits If I Have Prostate Cancer
Disability insurance companies dont always make it easy for policyholders who have prostate cancer to get the disability benefits they deserve.
1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer more than 220,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is typically slow growing and, unfortunately, in the early stages, there are no symptoms. That is why annual prostate cancer screening is crucial.
Cancer can be aggressive when it spreads and reach the bones, lymph nodes, lungs and other tissue.
Symptoms can include:
- Pain in the genital and pelvic area,
- Blood in the urine or semen,
- Frequent urinary tract infections,
- Pain in the lower back or pelvic area,
- Anemia, and
The symptoms and progression vary from person to person, which disability carriers often fail to take consideration. These symptoms are similar to prostatitis, erectile dysfunction or an overactive bladder.
Disability carriers are notorious for denying and terminating many claims.
Carriers frequently say:
Many disability claims are denied. Other reasons carriers deny claims:
Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits With Prostate Cancer
The Journal of The National Cancer Institute reports there are nearly 2 million men living in the America today who are prostate cancer survivors, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation reports more than 220,000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
While prostate cancer is among the leading causes of cancer-related death for American men as well, it is also among the most treatable and curable forms of cancer, which is why it may or may not qualify you for disability benefits.
If your prostate cancer was advanced when diagnosed or has recurred after initial treatment, then you automatically medically qualify Social Security Disability. If it is not advanced, you will need to meet Blue Book listing 13.24 to qualify. Either way, you will need to apply and provide medical records to back up your claim though.
If your prostate cancer is caught early and responds to treatment, then you wont qualify for benefits through the typical review process. Instead, youll have to show that your cancer symptoms, treatments, and complications severely disrupt your ability to function on a daily basis.
Vietnam Veterans & Prostate Cancer
Veterans who served in Vietnam are now reaching their mid-60s, which is the age at which prostate cancer is usually diagnosed. This means that we are seeing an influx of prostate cancer cases.
Roughly eight nine million men in the US served during the Vietnam War with approximately 2.7 million Americans serving in Vietnam. And according to recent studies, almost 1.4 million men are predicted to develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. A 2013 study conducted at the Portland VA Medical Center and Oregon Health and Science University found that Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are not only at higher risk for prostate cancer, but they also have an increased risk for more aggressive forms of the disease.
Agent Orange, as we have discussed in previous Agent Orange blog posts, has been found to cause many serious health problems. The VA has found sufficient evidence of an association with certain conditions so they have recognized fourteen different diseases and type of cancer as being related to Agent Orange exposure. These conditions are considered presumptive diseases, meaning that the VA will grant service-connection for these conditions as long as the veteran was in Vietnam. Some other diseases on this list include non-Hodgkins lymphoma , soft tissue sarcoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, multiple myeloma, and ischemic heart disease.
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Applying For Social Security Disability Benefits
You can apply for disability benefits online via the SSAs web site or in person at your local Social Security office. When applying, you will be asked to fill out a number of forms including the Adult Disability Report and the disability application. In addition to filling out these forms, you will also need to be able to supply the SSA with the medical evidence that you have gathered to support your disability claim, such as copies of your treatment history, laboratory reports, imaging results, and written statements from your treating physicians.
This article has been kindly provided by Ram Meyyappan of Social Security Disability Help. Since 2009, Social Security Disability Help has provided information to individuals who are seeking to apply for Social Security Disability benefits or have been denied after applying for Social Security Disability.
Applying For Disability With Prostate Cancer
If you have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are unable to work, you may be worried about making ends meet. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration provides financial benefits for people who are unable to work due to an illness.
Metastatic, late stage, and terminal prostate cancers automatically meet the SSAs medical eligibility requirements for disability benefits. Prostate cancer that is diagnosed early and response to treatment, however, may or may not qualify you for benefits.
If your cancer is advanced, has recurred, or is inoperable or resistant to treatment, then you can typically get a decision on your application within just a few weeks. If your prostate cancer was caught early and treated appropriately but has nonetheless has left you unable to work, you will have an uphill battle ahead to get approved for disability benefits.
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Denied Va Disability Benefits For Prostate Cancer
VA disability claims for prostate cancer, specifically stemming from exposure to military burn pits, may be denied by VA because there is no presumption of exposure. However, if your claim for prostate cancer was denied, you still have options for appealing the decision.
The accredited VA disability attorneys at CCK may be able to help you secure VA disability benefits for your prostate cancer. Contact our office today for a free consultation.
Applying For Disability Insurance After Cancer
Once you are in remission, have had your cancer removed or treated, and a doctor has given you the all-clear after a follow-up appointment, you can apply for a disability insurance policy to ensure that your income is protected from other health issues in the future.
Former cancer patients arenât uninsurable, but applying for disability insurance with a pre-existing condition can mean that youâll have higher premiums.
There are several ways to lower your premium if you have a history of cancer:
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Exclusions: If you have a history of cancer, itâs very likely that cancer will be listed as an exclusion and wonât be covered by your policy. How specific the exclusion is depends on your history, including what type and stage of cancer you had.
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Shorter benefit period: Depending on your health history, an insurance agent may suggest that you purchase a policy that only provides benefits for three to five years, instead of until retirement. Once you have several years without claims, you can reapply for a more robust policy.
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Step-graded coverage for illnesses: Step-graded coverage means that when you first buy the policy, you’ll have lower coverage for illnesses but full coverage for accidents. Then, each progressive year without a claim means you get more of the full coverage amount if you become disabled from an illness.
We can help you can get disability insurance quotes, and a Policygenius disability insurance specialist can help you personalize your quotes to your needs.
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The Costs Of Prostate Cancer
A prostate cancer diagnosis is often followed by multiple consultations with specialists, including urologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists, among others. Follow-up appointments with various doctors and specialists may also be necessary.
Office visit co-pays are among the initial expenses, but you must tack on top of these the costs of various treatments, which may include a combination of radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, prescription drugs, and surgery.
The Prostate Cancer Foundation and Dr. Jay Ciezki of the Cleveland Clinic report that patients accumulate medical expenses at varying rates after initial treatment. Annual expenses depend highly on the type of treatment a patient undergoes. For example, men that have their prostate gland surgically removed incur annual direct medical costs that average about $3,200 thereafter.
Patients that undergo other initial treatment methods average annual medical expenses that range from about $2,600 to $6,400.
According to a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institutes, between 22 and 30 percent of men report that their cancer and cancer treatments affect their ability to perform physical job functions 12 months after diagnosis. For many, this is well after initial treatment for prostate cancer has ended.
If you are no longer able to work, then Social Security disability can be a means of ensuring consistent income.
When Will You Be Considered No Longer Disabled From Cancer
If your original cancer have been successfully treated, and there is no evidence of their recurrence for three or more years, then your cancer will no longer meet any of the SSA’s impairment listing requirements. 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 of the three-year period.
Note that cancer is subject to the same one-year duration requirement for getting disability benefits as any other medical condition.
| Take our disability quiz to help you determine whether you qualify for benefits. |
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Making A Disability Insurance Claim With Cancer
If you have received a cancer diagnosis and need to learn about disability insurance options, the first step is to survey what coverage you may already have. There are three primary types of disability coverage:
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Social Security disability insurance, provided as a benefit through the federal government.
Talk to your HR department about what coverage you have through work. If you have a private disability insurance policy that youâve purchased on your own outside of work, look into claim requirements.
A cancer diagnosis doesnât guarantee that you can receive disability benefits. To make a successful disability claim and claim benefits, a diagnosis has to lead to a disability that keeps you from working.
To make a claim, youâll have to get a statement from your doctor that explains your health status and that youâre disabled and unable to work. That information has to meet your policyâs definition of disability. Some insurers may also require a statement from your employer.
Prostate Cancer: Survival And Beyond Navigating Short Term And Long Term Disability
A prostate cancer diagnosis is a devastating moment that 1 in 8* men will experience in their lifetime. But its the many moments after the initial shock when the disease can truly takes its physical, mental and emotional toll.
Battling prostate cancer and coping with the residual effects of treatment can be very taxing. During and after treatment many men of working age who want to return to work encounter a variety of challenges.
Sometimes a survivor may not able to return to his previous job or take on any form of employment as physical, cognitive or psychological limitations might make certain tasks difficult or impossible to complete. If the work is labour intensive, requires heavy lifting or is otherwise physically demanding, some survivors may no longer be able to perform their previous tasks as effortlessly as they used to.
Many survivors also struggle with cognitive or psychological issues. They might have difficulty keeping pace with their colleagues, concentrating, processing data and/or providing analysis and they may struggle when faced with learning new tasks.
If it is determined that return to work is not possible, either in the short-term or the long-term, a survivor may be entitled to receive disability benefits available to them through their employer or private health benefits they have purchased on their own.
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Qualifying For Social Security Disability With Prostate Cancer
by Prostate Cancer News | Apr 20, 2018 | For Patients |
Medically Qualifying With the Blue Book
- Your prostate cancer is progressive or recurrent despite hormonal intervention*
- Your prostate cancer has spread to internal organs
- Your prostate cancer is small cell/oat cell, which is usually more aggressive and harder to treat
*There are two notes with this listing. Biochemical recurrence will not count for the first qualification. Additionally, the SSA requests progression despite hormonal intervention because its commonly the standard care for men with prostate cancer, but if your oncologist started you immediately with chemotherapy and your cancer returned, you will qualify all the same.
The entire Blue Book can be found online, so you can review the prostate cancer listing with your oncologist to know if youll qualify.
Medically Qualifying Through a Medical Vocational Allowance
Starting Your Disability Application
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 or otherwise untreatable, the SSA will likely use the date that the doctor rendered his or her prognosis as your disability onset date. However, you may be able to prove that you became disabled even before your prognosis was established.
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:
- When you first reported symptoms to your doctor
- What type of cancer you were diagnosed with
- Where the cancer is located, and
- And how far the cancer had spread when it was first diagnosed.
Usually benefits are awarded up to six months prior to when the applicant was first diagnosed with cancer, unless there was sufficient evidence to prove otherwise.
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Prostate Cancer Treatment Methods
Most veterans discover they have prostate cancer after their doctor orders a prostate-specific antigen blood test or digital rectal exam. As veterans age their risk factor for prostate cancer increases.
Cancer in a mans prostate a small walnut-sized gland that produces seminal fluid can be treated by surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, or chemotherapy. Many veterans with prostate cancer choose a treatment program called watchful waiting.
Veterans who choose watchful waiting treatment may be eligible for VA benefits. Veterans with prostate cancer that are on the watchful waiting program are often older veterans that choose to hold off on aggressive prostate cancer treatment and they wait to see if the cancer appears to be growing.
Veterans needing surgery for prostate cancer or prostatectomy will have their prostate removed with the goal of removing all cancerous cells. Veterans needing radiation therapy will undergo treatment that uses high levels of radiation to kill prostate cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy cells.
Some veterans choose radiation seed implants to battle prostate cancer. Veterans choosing radiation seed implants will have radioactive seeds implanted into their prostate in hopes of killing the cancerous cells.
Veterans with prostate cancer also choose cryotherapy. In this treatment program, cancer cells are killed by freezing them.
How The Process Works
The government fears that people will exaggerate their medical problems in order to get free money. So it puts every applicant under a microscope. To win, you have to prove beyond a doubt that your medical condition is severe and disabling.
There are two major stages in the process, and most people will need to go through both:
Initial Application: You submit a lengthy , details on past work and treatment, and copies of your medical records. A government staffer reads your file and makes a decision.
Appeals: If you lose, you appeal your denial and eventually get a hearing with a judge. At the hearing, you get to submit additional evidence, speak to the judge directly, and cross-examine government experts.
Unfortunately, the process takes time: 3-6 months to get an initial decision, and 1-2 years to get a hearing. Even a small mistake or omission can doom an application. The good news is that once you win even if it takes a long time and several appeals you get back pay for the time you should have been getting benefits.
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Dic Benefits For Surviving Spouses
If you had boots on the ground in a place with Agent Orange, your prostate cancer is presumed to have come from your Agent Orange exposure. Since those veterans are eligible for benefits, their surviving spoused may be eligible when they pass.
If you are the surviving spouse of a veteran that died from prostate cancer, you may be eligible for DIC benefits for widows. According to a VA study, veterans exposed to Agent Orange are not only at a higher risk for prostate cancer, but are also more likely to develop aggressive forms of the disease. Woods & Woods DIC veteran widow benefits lawyers have fought the VA in many DIC claims for Agent Orange related illnesses.