With each passing pay period, most Americans automatically contribute funds to the Social Security Administration (SSA). In fact, most of us never even give it much thought. The money is withdrawn from our paychecks before we even see it, so we almost don’t even notice that it’s gone. You pay these taxes, in case you are unable to work due to a severe disability. In that case, you can apply Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits to provide some financial relief.
In order to begin receiving Social Security disability benefits, one must demonstrate that their disability is, in legitimate. As a result, only about three of every ten applications will be approved upon their first submission. The remainder (if they are not discouraged enough to abandon the process altogether) have no choice but to appeal the decision. After waiting for the appeal hearing, they may have to obtain additional documentation from their physician, and then wait for another decision. And so it goes, through the same cycle until they have proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they really need disability benefits.
Thankfully, the SSA has seen fit to institute the Compassionate Allowances program, which is a subset of conditions that automatically qualify for Social Security disability benefits. A person who has been diagnosed with one of the qualifying conditions can be assured that their case will be expedited and that they will not automatically be doomed to spending years in limbo while their case is being appealed.
Thyroid Cancer is one of the conditions that qualify as a Compassionate Allowance. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer, it is important that you begin the disability application process right away so that your benefits can begin as soon as possible.
Is Thyroid Cancer A Disability?
More than 40,000 people every year are diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and more than 10,000 people die form this cancer.
Thyroid cancer is eligible for Social Security disability benefits because it’s a serious illness that can make it impossible for people to work while they are being treated for the disorder.
Treatments that are common for thyroid cancer like chemo and radiation can make thyroid cancer patients so sick that they can’t work while they are in treatment.
Unfortunately sometimes thyroid cancer is also terminal, and in those cases when the disease is terminal it’s important that the people diagnosed with it have time to spend with their loved ones and the money from disability benefits can help them do that.
The disability benefits provide money that people who have thyroid cancer can use for living expenses while they are unable to work.
Thyroid cancer is one of more than 80 conditions that are qualify someone to receive benefits faster than usual through the Compassionate Allowance Program.
Thyroid Cancer - Condition and Symptoms
The thyroid gland sits at the base of the throat and creates hormones that regulate heart rate, blood pressure, metabolism and body temperature. There are four main types of cancer that can affect the thyroid gland: papillary, follicular, medullary, and anaplastic thyroid cancer. These types are identified by the characteristic appearance of the cells under a microscope. Anaplastic thyroid cancer is considered to be the most difficult to treat because the cells tend to grow and spread very rapidly. Symptoms tend to show up only after the disease has grown. Symptoms can include persistent pain in the throat or neck that does not go away, a lump in the front of the neck, hoarseness or changes in the voice, difficulty swallowing or breathing or swollen lymph nodes in the throat or neck.
Thyroid cancer may be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone treatment, or any combination of these. Thyroid cancer can be definitively diagnosed through a biopsy.
What is the Compassionate Allowance Program?
The Compassionate Allowance program makes it possible for people suffering from a serious or terminal illness to bypass the long wait for disability benefit approval and disbursement so that they will start to receive their benefits quickly.
Time is of the essence for anyone who has a condition that qualifies for the Compassionate Allowance program so the Social Security Administration expedites the processing of their claims to ensure they get the money from disability benefits when they really need it.
Often the benefits start getting paid within just a few weeks, which is a big help to people who are too sick to work.
There’s no additional paperwork to fill out to get into the Compassionate Allowance program. Just file a claim for Social Security disability benefits and submit your medical documentation.
The Social Security Administration’s system is designed to flag claims that are for conditions that are on the Compassionate Allowance program list.
The computer system will automatically reroute your claim to a team of specialists so that it will get processed quickly.
Approval is fast and benefits can start being paid in as little as two weeks. That money can give people with thyroid cancer and other serious illnesses some financial breathing room so they can focus on their health.
Filing for Social Security Disability for Thyroid Cancer
A person who has been diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer will automatically qualify for disability benefits because it is one of the illnesses that are listed as a compassionate allowance. As a result, you and your family can count on the fact that the approval process for your case will be abbreviated so that you can begin receiving benefits right away. Assuming that all of the necessary paperwork is in order when your application is initially submitted, your case may be approved in as little as three weeks, making benefits available to you as soon as the next benefit cycle begins.
Although this illness automatically qualifies you for an expedited approval process, it would still be extremely wise to have your case reviewed by a Social Security disability lawyer. A disability lawyer can examine your claim prior to submission so that you can be certain that you and your family will get your benefits in a timely manner. Enlisting the services of an experienced professional will give you the assurance that your case will be as stress-free as possible.
Your Thyroid Cancer Social Security Disability Case
If you or a family member has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, you can be certain that you will receive disability benefits from the SSA. In spite of that certainty, having your case examined by a Social Security disability lawyer will spare you and your family the aggravation of a long and frustrating appeal.
How a Social Security Attorney can Help You With Your Case
Working with an attorney that specializes in Social Security cases can help you get your claim for Social Security disability benefits approved quickly.
An attorney with years of experience working with Social Security claims can help guide you through the process of filing a claim.
The attorney can also make sure that you have filled out the claim forms correctly, have the right medical documentation, and have everything that you need to make your claim complete.
If you apply and are denied an attorney can advocate for you and help you get appeal your denial.
And a Social Security disability attorney can help ensure that if you qualify for the Compassionate Allowance program your claim application gets processed quickly.
