The Social Security Administration (SSA) has become aware that there are certain diseases and disorders that are so severe that they necessitate immediate help in order to provide the most assistance. Because of this, the SSA has come up with a list known as Compassionate Allowances. The Compassionate Allowances are a list of disorders that, if you are diagnosed with one, you may complete an expedited process when applying for disability benefits. Finding out you have a life-threatening disease can be stressful and scary, but your fears can be somewhat allayed by knowing that, if your condition is listed as a Compassionate Allowance, you can start to receive benefits much sooner than normal.
The disability application process can be rather time consuming, often lasting between six and twenty-four months. You must provide many documents that may be hard to obtain and even once you are approved it may be several more months before you can start collecting your benefits. This lengthy process makes sense in certain cases, to give the SSA time to properly identify the needs of each applicant. However, there are some disorders that are so severe that the long timeline can only serve to worsen the possibilities. With the Compassionate Allowances your application process can be shortened from months to weeks and you can start to receive your benefits as soon as the next benefit cycle begins.
Stomach Cancer is one of the conditions that qualifies for a compassionate allowance exception.
Stomach Cancer (with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent) – Condition and Symptoms
Stomach Cancer is a cancer which forms in the tissues that line the stomach. Also known as gastric cancer, it usually affects men over the age of 40. Factors that may contribute to the development of Stomach Cancer include large gastric polyps, smoking and a family history of gastric cancer. There are many symptoms of Stomach Cancer that may be confused with other, lesser problems. These include pain or a feeling of fullness in the abdomen, difficulty swallowing, bloody stools, nausea, appetite loss, and unintentional weight loss.
Because Stomach Cancer has symptoms similar to less severe conditions, such as heartburn or bloating, it is often not properly diagnosed until it has reached the later stages. The only cure available is surgical removal of the entire affected area. Unfortunately, since diagnosis comes so late, this is usually not possible. Treatment of Stage IV Stomach Cancer is mainly to deal with pain and symptoms rather than treating the actual cause and can include radiation and chemotherapy. Prognosis of Stomach Cancer is dependent upon when it was diagnosed, the overall health of the patient and whether or not the tumor has spread outside of the stomach.
If you have Stomach Cancer that has been deemed inoperable it means that your physician has decided it would not be beneficial to perform surgery. If your Stomach Cancer is unresectable it means that surgery was attempted but that it did not completely remove the damaged tissues.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Stomach Cancer (with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent)
If you have been diagnosed with Stomach Cancer that your doctor has decided is inoperable, unresectable or recurrent, you immediately qualify for disability benefits under the Compassionate Allowances act. This means that your application process will be expedited and you will not necessarily need as much documentation to begin receiving your benefits. This hastened process has been put in place so you can receive your benefits sooner to help defray your mounting medical costs and improve your quality of life.
When you go to apply for benefits after being diagnosed with Stomach Cancer it is important to have the correct documentation ready. Preferably this would include an operative and a pathology report. If for some reason you are having difficulty obtaining these particular reports, a written opinion from your physician that your cancer is inoperable, unresectable or recurrent is often accepted.
Your Stomach Cancer (with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent) Social Security Disability Case
Since you have been diagnosed with Stomach Cancer that has spread to other regions or is inoperable, unresectable or recurrent, you should have little trouble obtaining permission to collect disability benefits. However, even with a condition that is listed under the Compassionate Allowances, it is still a smart idea to contact a Social Security disability lawyer. A qualified Social Security disability lawyer will have a lot of experience with cases very similar to yours and can help you through what is often a confusing process. People are often surprised to find out that most are denied benefits simply because they lack a certain necessary document or because their paperwork is out of order.
