With a growing backlog of Social Security Disability claims, most of which require extensive scrutiny to determine eligibility for Social Security Disability programs, the SSA began the Compassionate Allowances program in 2008. Compassionate Allowances allow people with certain conditions that are deemed to automatically qualify you for Social Security Disability benefits to be placed on a fast track to approval and receiving of their benefit payments.
Most of the disabling conditions approved for the Compassionate Allowance program are expected to end in the death or permanent incapacity of the disabled person. Most of the 88 medical conditions approved for the program are terminal cancers or neurological diseases. Those who suffer from these kinds of conditions logically need to be moved through the Social Security system quickly, while the benefits can still assist them.
Those who qualify for a Compassionate Allowance can expect their Social Security Disability claims to be accepted in as little as three weeks. This is compared to a minimum of three months for standard Social Security Disability claims (and most standard claims take much longer before they’re approved).
A diagnosis of anaplastic adrenal cancer qualifies you for the SSA’s Compassionate Allowance program if one of the following conditions applies:
- Distant metastases. This means the cancer has spread from the adrenal glands to other parts of your body.
- Inoperable. If the doctors are unable to perform any kind of curative operation on your cancer.
- Unresectable. This refers to the fact that the tumors are not removable by surgical means.
- Recurrent. If your cancer has been successfully operated on but has returned, it is recurrent.
Anaplastic Adrenal Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent- Condition and Symptoms
The most common presenting symptom of anaplastic adrenal cancer is localized abdominal pain. Unlike most forms of adrenal cancer, it does not result in increased hormone production. There main treatment used for people whose malignancies remain localized to the adrenal glands is a surgical excision. At this point, there is no other way to offer the hope of surviving anaplastic adrenal cancer. Unfortunately, anaplastic adrenal cancer is not always operable.
Those with inoperable anaplastic adrenal cancer have a median life expectancy of about five months after onset and are best advised to set their affairs in order. Part of this includes applying for Social Security Disability benefits immediately.
Filing for Social Security Disability with Anaplastic Adrenal Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Once you’ve received a diagnosis of anaplastic adrenal cancer, you should apply for Social Security Disability right away, preferably with the assistance of a Social Security Disability attorney. While your condition does qualify you for a Compassionate Allowance, it is critical that all of the paperwork be in order so that yor Social Security Disability claim will be accepted quickly.
This includes your claim forms and your medical documentation. At the very least, your medical documentation needs to include complete imaging studies of the CT scan or MRI, and the diagnosis based on these scans must in turn be shown to be valid with a biopsy.
If you have adrenal cancer, the last thing you need is a delay in your Social Security Disability benefits due to errors in your claim or medical paperwork. A Social Security Disability lawyer will know what kind of evidence the SSA is looking for when determining whether to grant a compassionate allowance. Having an attorney review your claim could make a great difference between receiving benefit checks within a month versus a year.
Your Anaplastic Adrenal Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent Social Security Disability Case
Anaplastic adrenal cancer does qualify you for a Compassionate Allowance, and you will have no trouble at all being approved for Social Security Disability benefits as long as the paperwork is filed correctly. Unfortunately, it can be very easy for you or even your doctor to make a mistake and fail to include a relevant piece of information that could result in your claim being denied and necessitating the appeals process.
With a life expectancy of five months or less, you don’t have time to wade through the appeals process. Even if you beat the odds and live longer than expected, you need to start receiving your Social Security Disability benefits right away. That’s why it’s important to have all of the claim information complete and filed correctly from the beginning. The best way to make that happen is to trust your case to a Social Security Disability attorney who deals with Compassionate Allowance cases on a regular basis.
For more information about Compassionate Allowances or to have an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer take a look at your case, simply ask for a free evaluation of your claim today.
