Yes, you can automatically qualify for disability benefits with breast cancer if your breast cancer meets the criteria of the Compassionate Allowances program (CAL).
This means that if your cancer is at an advanced stage – stage three or stage four – or if it has metastasized, is recurrent, or is small-cell carcinoma. Here is a closer look at a disability claim for breast cancer.
How To Automatically Qualify For Disability Benefits
To automatically qualify for disability benefits, you must have a condition that is part of the CAL program.
Often, that means your condition must meet specific criteria to qualify. To qualify for the CAL with breast cancer, you must meet very specific criteria. You must meet one of these criteria for your claim to be considered through CAL for expedited review:
- A Stage 3 or higher breast cancer that has extended to the chest, skin, or internal mammary nodes.
- A carcinoma that h'as spread above or below the collarbone, has spread to 10 or more nearby nodes, or spread to distant regions of the chest.
- A carcinoma that returns after anticancer therapy.
- Small-cell (oat cell) carcinoma.
In most cases, any cancer that it is stage three or four qualifies for the CAL program. If you have breast cancer that meets at least one of those criteria and you have hard medical evidence to confirm it, you should submit it with your claim.
Through the CAL program, claims are often approved within a matter of weeks rather than months.
Does Breast Cancer Automatically Qualify For Disability Benefits?
Yes, breast cancer can automatically qualify for disability benefits when at a certain stage or when the cancer has metastasized, or other specific criteria are met.
You will need imaging reports, and other medical documentation, such as surgical notes and physician exam notes that verify the stage of your breast cancer and other applicable details, such as if it has spread or the kind of cancer that you have.
Although the condition is on the CAL for faster approval, you must have the supporting evidence to back up your claim. You should talk with your oncologist about your claim, and they can offer guidance and support.
They can also ensure that you have the needed medical evidence to have a successful claim. Lab results, imaging reports, surgical notes, pathology records, treatment records, and exam notes are all essential to your disability claim for breast cancer. Documentation and evidence are key to a successful breast cancer disability claim.
Get Help With Your Claim
If you are unable to work because of breast cancer, you should get your disability claim underway. A disability lawyer will know if your claim will automatically qualify for monthly benefits.
An attorney can help you gather supporting evidence and determine the best way to proceed with your claim. Complete the Free Case Evaluation Form to share the details of your breast cancer disability claim with an attorney who represents clients in your area.
