If you have thyroid cancer, it is part of the Social Security Administration’s list of compassionate allowances and may automatically qualify you to receive disability benefits. This compassionate allowance was executed by the Social Security Administration (SSA) in 2008 so as to reduce the time it takes to process a social security disability benefits claim for anyone diagnosed with specific conditions including thyroid cancer. However, even though the claim should take less than 10 days to be approved by the SSA you still have to send in reliable evidence showing you are suffering from thyroid cancer.
What is the Compassionate Allowance List?
The SSA has compiled a list of more than 200 disabling conditions that it allows to qualify for the compassionate allowance program including thyroid cancer. You need to have sufficient medical documentation to prove that you have thyroid cancer.
Your claim will be automatically prioritized by the SSA and should be fully processed and approved in only 10 days. This is far less time than most disability benefits claims which can often take months and sometimes years before a decision is reached.
Qualifying for Disability Benefits with Thyroid Cancer
Medical qualification for a compassionate allowance if you have been diagnosed with thyroid isn’t too difficult as long as the diagnosis from your doctor confirms the presence of the condition. The symptoms that may help to confirm that you have thyroid cancer could include the following:
- enlarged lymph nodes discovered in the neck;
- difficulty with swallowing;
- difficulty with breathing or experiencing shortness of breath;
- a lump or swelling found in the neck or throat;
- a cough or hoarse voice that will not go away.
Medical Evidence Needed to Qualify for Disability Benefits
Even though the thyroid cancer may qualify for a compassionate allowance, you are still required to provide medical records to support your claim. This includes the results of an ultrasound of the thyroid and a fine-needle aspiration which are able to detect the presence of thyroid cancer.
Also computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help to confirm its presence. Other tests carried out by a doctor include:
- a physical examination and a look at patient history;
- studying a blood sample;
- internal examining of the voice box by using a laryngoscope
- taking a tissue sample (biopsy) from the thyroid gland to be examined under a microscope.
Next Steps to Take
Filing a claim for disability benefits under the compassionate allowance program for thyroid cancer is never as simple as you may think. The SSA requires indisputable evidence that you are suffering from thyroid cancer before your claim for disability benefits is approved.
Even though it is listed on the compassionate allowances program this doesn’t make it any easier to qualify. An attorney can help you compile all the required medical evidence and submit your condition under the compassionate allowance program so that your eligibility for disability benefits is approved in as short a time as possible.
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