A cancer diagnosis can turn your world upside down in an instant. Both in the form of physical impairment and significant medical costs, cancer can drain your resources quickly.
Depending on the type and stage of cancer, you may find yourself unable to work as you once did, which can make for a disability recognized by Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Applying for SSDI benefits for cancer in Kansas City can be a complicated process. It is best to seek the help of an experienced attorney. Call today to discuss conditions covered by SSDI and how to start a claim.
SSDI applications involve a lot of paperwork, but approval could mean monthly payments by the Social Security Administration (SSA). To show eligibility, applicants must supply paperwork showing their history of contributions to Social Security and their medical disability.
For example, workers will often need 40 work credits, with 20 in the last ten years, to qualify for SSDI benefits. Even if your work was not consistent in the past, you may have contributed enough to remain eligible, but you must prove it in your application.
In terms of medical documentation, you must show the length and severity of your disability, which could entail getting records from multiple doctors and other medical professionals. Additionally, you will need evidence that your condition prevents you from engaging in your line of work to the point of disability.
Gathering all this information and completing your application takes time and effort, which can be challenging alone. Fortunately, a knowledgeable Social Security Disability attorney can fulfill an active and helpful role in applying for SSDI in Kansas City based on cancer.
At a basic level, your lawyer can physically assemble your application to the SSA for SSDI benefits and advise you on how to fill out the SSA’s forms. An experienced SSDI attorney can review your history and help you express your particular cancer diagnosis and treatment in your application.
The SSA maintains regulations for reviewing applications for benefits based on cancer. How the SSA determines benefits will depend on the type and degree of cancer. At a minimum, the SSA will evaluate your claim based on the duration of the cancer, the cancer’s involvement in various organs of the body, treatment received thus far, and how your body has responded.
A Kansas City lawyer can call different doctors’ offices and locate records from medical professionals who may have changed practices or joined a different health system, all as your representative when seeking SSDI benefits for cancer.
Your application also shows the connection between cancer and your disability, as the SSA defines it. Cancer and its treatment can be debilitating, from chemotherapy to the effects of cancer itself on your body. You need to establish those effects in relation to your ability to work on top of medical documents, such as disability and leave reports from your work history.
Confronting cancer takes a lot on its own before you even think about applying for benefits. With the help of a lawyer, you can prepare your application for SSDI for cancer in Kansas City. Contact our office today for more information and a complimentary consultation.