Is Breast Cancer a Disability?
As one of the most publicized types of serious diseases, breast cancer afflicts millions of people from around the world. If breast cancer has made a negative impact on your life, can you get disability benefits to make up for the financial losses caused by the often debilitating disease? First, you have to answer the question, “Is breast cancer a disability?” According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), breast cancer is a disability if it meets the medical guidelines that are established by the Blue Book.
Is Breast Cancer a Disability?
To determine whether breast cancer is a disability, a team of medical examiners from the SSA thoroughly reviews disability claims to determine whether the severity of symptoms associated with the disease meets the standards published in the Blue Book. Breast cancer lists with other types of cancers in the Blue Book under Section 13.00. However, it is not enough for you to receive a diagnosis for breast cancer. You also must suffer from symptoms severe enough to have forced you out of the job market.
Because the language used to describe the severe symptoms of breast cancer is highly technical, you should consult with a Social Security disability lawyer before you submit your claim. For most breast cancer claims, the applicant must have reached stage 3 of development for breast cancer.
Types of Breast Cancer Conditions That Are a Disability
Breast cancer develops into many forms that determine treatment strategies and the prognosis to make a full recovery. Triple-negative breast cancer represents an aggressive type of invasive breast cancer that requires interventions such as chemotherapy. Inflammatory breast cancer is another type of aggressive breast cancer that involves cancerous cells that block the lymph vessels located in the skin. The development of phyllodes tumors typically results in a benign form of breast cancer. Less prevalent forms of breast cancer include angiosarcoma and Paget disease of the breast.
How to Get Disability Benefits for Breast Cancer
Applying for disability benefits provides you with two ways to start the process. You can submit the online for or call the SSA at 800-772-1213. Completing the disability claim process involves submitting the application at one of the SSA's local offices. However, the COVID-19 pandemic changed the process because the SSA closed every local office. Call the toll-free number to discover whether the SSA has reopened the local office closest to you.
The key to getting disability benefits for breast cancer is to submit overwhelming strong evidence you suffer from the disease and that the disease prevents you from working. Your oncologist should provide you with copies of medical records, including the results of diagnostic tests, a detailed description of all treatments, and the prognosis of you making a full recovery. Explanations of any surgeries performed and the extent of any physical therapy sessions can boost your disability claim in the eye of the medical examiners at the SSA.
If the SSA denies your disability claim, you do not file another claim with the federal agency. Instead, you file an appeal for reconsideration, which represents the first step of the appeals process.
Get Help with Your Breast Cancer Disability Claim
Getting the SSA to approve your disability claim requires the legal support of a Social Security disability attorney. A disability lawyer prepares your claim to include the most compelling evidence. Schedule a free case evaluation today with a Social Security disability attorney.
