Approximately 4% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States are located in the head and neck area, and researchers estimate that over 65,000 American men and women will be diagnosed with some form of this cancer in 2020.
Head and neck cancer includes all occurrences that appear in the area, with the exception of brain cancer. Common forms include cancer of the:
- Lips
- Larynx
- Mouth
- Nasal Cavity or sinuses
- Throat
- Tongue
Treatment plans will vary according to the location of the tumor, stage that the cancer has reached, and your overall health. General approaches include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and targeted therapy. Individually or as part of an overall treatment combination, these cancer-fighting treatments can leave you too exhausted to maintain full-time employment. If this happens to you, you may qualify for Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits, which can help meet the costs of your cancer treatments while compensating for lost income.
Medical Eligibility with Head and Neck Cancer
When you apply for disability benefits, the SSA refers to the Blue Book, which lists recognized disabilities and the criteria for meeting each one. Section 13.02 Soft tissue cancer of the head and neck covers all local cancers except those of the salivary glands and thyroid, which have their own listings.
Certain types of head and neck cancer will result in an automatic approval of your disability claim. They include:
- Esophageal Cancer
- Salivary Cancers
- Sinonasal Cancer
- Thyroid Cancer
You will also qualify with head and neck cancer that has spread, cannot be operated on or removed, persistent or recurrent (except for true vocal cord) disease following initial anticancer therapy, with metastases beyond the regional lymph nodes, or is a small cell carcinoma. If you have a head or neck cancer whose symptoms and treatment are expected to leave you completely disabled for at least a year, you will also be approved for benefits. Reviewing the Blue Book online will give you a better idea of how you may qualify for your particular condition.
The Compassionate Allowances Programs
Certain head and neck cancers are treatable if caught in the early stages. For example, with early detection, throat cancer treatment has an estimated 95% success rate. In this situation, you will not qualify for disability benefits unless at least 12 months of treatment are required and any associated side effects and complications will leave you too disabled to work full-time. If this happens to be the case with you, you may qualify for a medical vocational allowance.
This allowance is intended to make benefits available to applicants who did not meet a listing but are still unable to maintain gainful employment. Your eligibility will be determined by factors such as your functional capacity, employment history, and even age, as older applicants can find it more difficult to be retrained for a career they can pursue during their cancer treatments.
To evaluate your application, the SSA will review your residual functional capacity (RFC) form, which details the ways that having cancer has impacted your ability to work at a job you are trained and qualified for. This form must be filled out by your oncologist and submitted along with your original application.
Applying for Disability Benefits
Applying consists of completing an application form and submitting it to the SSA, along with medical documentation that supports both your diagnosis and prognosis. Examples include:
- Physical examination results
- Endoscopy test results
- Lab tests such as blood and urine analysis
- Imaging results for tests like Xrays, MRIs, CT scans and/or PET scans
- Pathology reports
- Anti-cancer treatment results
You may apply online or call 1-800-772-1213 to schedule an appointment at your closest SSA office. Once your benefits start arriving, your financial worries will ease and you can focus on improving your quality of life during treatment and beyond.
This article was written by the Outreach Team at Disability Benefits Help. They provide information about disability benefits and the application process. To learn more, please visit their website at www.disabilitybenefitscenter.org or by contacting them at help@ssd-help.org.
