A leukemia diagnosis qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits, but the application process can be tedious. You’ll need medical evidence to back your claim including statements from your oncologists and specialists, pathology reports, bone marrow biopsies, and more. If you’re sick and fighting for your life, gathering the proper documentation can seem like an insurmountable hill.
A quick internet search will tell you that the Social Security Administration (SSA) denies 70 percent of the Social Security Disability applications on the first try. Hiring a leukemia Social Security lawyer helps tremendously, but the appeals process can take months, or even years, to resolve, and there’s no guarantee of approval there either.
What Is the Compassionate Allowances Program for Disability Benefits for Leukemia Patients?
In 2008, the SSA started the Compassionate Allowances program which moves the Disability applications of people with automatically qualifying conditions through the system at a faster pace. To meet the requirements for the Compassionate Allowances program, the condition must be terminal or cause functional capacity to deteriorate quickly.
Qualifying Compassionate Allowance applications are normally approved within three to four weeks instead of the usual three to six months for a regular Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claim. Once approved based on a Compassionate allowance, your SSDI benefits start immediately.
While expected to grow, the SSA currently considers only a small number of medical conditions for Compassionate Allowances applications. Acute leukemia, however, is at the top of the list.
Can I Apply for Disability Using My Acute Leukemia List of Complications?
Leukemia is cancer that causes your body to create too many white blood cells, which then overwhelm your bloodstream and bone marrow. In acute cases, these white blood cells aren’t fully matured. Doctors often catch it early due to the symptoms it causes which include:
- pale skin
- fever
- bleeding or bruising too easily
- bone and joint pain
- pain below your ribs
- red spots beneath your skin
- poor appetite
- frequent infections
Acute leukemia, and other cancers, have no guaranteed cure, but scientific research has advanced medical knowledge and treatments for the disease.
Worrying about paying your mortgage and bills is normal while out of work due to cancer complications. The Compassionate Allowances program allows patients like you continue to provide for their families. A leukemia Social Security lawyer can help you make sense of the program’s application process so you have a better chance for a quick approval.
Disability & Leukemia: Social Security Benefits Help for Acute Illness
The Compassionate Allowances program only considers your application if you fill out all of your paperwork correctly. A small mistake can be the difference between waiting three weeks for approval or waiting six months. When you’re sick and out of work, six months is a long time to wait for help.
Our leukemia Social Security attorneys can help you with your forms to eliminate the chance for errors. Let us help you gather the information you need for a fast approval process. Call the Disability Help Group of Arizona today at (888) 939-4692 or fill out our contact form to discuss your case with a lawyer in our Phoenix, Mesa, or Tucson office.