In 2020, the American Cancer Society estimated that nearly 74,000 new cases of kidney cancer would be diagnosed that year and around 15,000 people would die from it.
Most people who receive a diagnosis are in their mid-sixties and early seventies and it is twice as common in men than in women.
Kidney cancer is one of the conditions that automatically qualify you for disability benefits. Both the symptoms and the aggressive treatments (which include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy) can deplete you physically and emotionally and leave you unable to work.
In some cases, the cancer may be inoperable or unresectable. This is why you can apply for Social Security disability benefits through a compassionate allowance, which speeds up the approval process and provides you with benefits more quickly.
Qualifying for a Compassionate Allowance with Kidney Cancer
The Social Security Administration (SSA) established the Compassionate Allowance system so that seriously ill or disabled applicants could qualify for disability benefits and receive them in weeks instead of months or years.
The SSA lists kidney cancer under Genitourinary Disorders in Section 6.00 of the Blue Book, which is its manual of disabling conditions. To be considered disabled, you must meet one of the following criteria:
- Chronic kidney disease that requires dialysis treatment
- Chronic kidney disease that was treated less than one year ago with a kidney transplant
- Chronic kidney disease with reduced kidney function and the presence of renal osteodystrophy, peripheral neuropathy, fluid overload syndrome, or severe anorexia
- Nephrotic syndrome as detected in testing twice in one year
- Chronic kidney disease with complications that resulted you to be hospitalized at least three times in one year
You will receive a compassionate allowance for kidney cancer if it is unresectable or inoperable and could start receiving benefits in under a month.
The goal is to ensure that your application is as complete as possible and gives the SSA all of the information it needs to flag your condition as a compassionate allowance case.
Have Your Case Reviewed by a Disability Lawyer
When you have kidney cancer that resists any form of treatment, you probably have not been able to work for awhile and need to start receiving benefits sooner instead of later.
However, if your application is incomplete or does not include key medical evidence, the process could be delayed and you may even receive an initial denial.
A Social Security Disability lawyer will provide you with invaluable guidance and support, so that your disability benefits application is correctly flagged and approved more quickly.
They will help you complete the forms, assemble the necessary evidence, and represent you in the event that your claim is initially denied. Even with conditions that don’t qualify as a compassionate allowance case, working with an attorney increases your chances of a successful application.
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