The development of colon cancer can produce several debilitating symptoms that make it difficult to hold down a steady job. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration (SSA) runs a safety net program that provides financial assistance to workers displaced by a debilitating medical condition like colon cancer. However, the SSA approves just a small fraction of disability claims. This means you might have to file an appeal to receive financial assistance for colon cancer.
You have 60 days after you receive the denial letter from the SSA to file a disability appeal. Not only are you on a deadline, but you also should follow four tips to boost your chances of winning a disability appeal.
- Include side effects
- Go through additional testing
- Get a Residual Functional Capacity (RFC) assessment
- Undergo a free case evaluation
Include Side Effects
The most important thing you can do to bolster your disability appeal is to submit additional medical evidence. Submit documentation that verifies the stage of your colon cancer, as well as images that present evidence that the cancer has spread and the tumors have grown larger. You also should submit medical evidence that demonstrates the negative side effects of treating colon cancer.
With a colon cancer diagnosis, this means presenting the SSA with images and documentation of your chemotherapy treatments. The side effects of treating cancer can prevent a patient from working. You also might need to go through one or more surgeries that produce negative side effects.
Although colon cancer might not qualify you for disability benefits, the debilitating side effects of surgeries and chemotherapy sessions might persuade the SSA to approve your disability appeal.
Go Through Additional Testing
It can take between three and five months for you to get a response on your disability benefits claim. During that time, your colon cancer might develop into a much more serious medical condition. If your original disability claim comes back denied by the SSA, ask your oncologist to conduct more tests to determine the status of your colon cancer.
If your symptoms have deteriorated, have your physician send the SSA every test result to strengthen your appeal. Make sure to include the costs of the additional tests as well.
Get an RFC Assessment
A medical examiner from Disability Determination Services (DDS) should conduct an RFC assessment to determine the amount of work you can handle while dealing with colon cancer symptoms. If you did not include the results of an RFC assessment with your original disability claim, undergo the assessment and send the results to the SSA along with your disability appeal.
An RFC assessment ranks the ability of a disability claimant to complete certain job functions. For example, if your job requires you to lift heavy objects, the DDS medical examiner puts you through tests that analyze how much weight you can lift.
Undergo a Free Case Evaluation
Filing a disability appeal can generate plenty of stress and frustration. The last thing you want to do is fail to convince the SSA that your colon cancer symptoms have put you out of work. By completing a free case evaluation, you receive the information you need to decide whether your appeal has what it takes to get approved.
An experienced and independent Social Security attorney can conduct a free case evaluation. The best part is most Social Security lawyers get paid on a contingency fee basis, which means they get paid when clients get paid.
