Financial Aid for Cancer Patients
Financial Aid and Government Benefits
Appendix Cancer, Colorectal Cancer, Mesothelioma and Pseudomyxoma Peritonei patients may require temporary or permanent supplemental disability benefits.
See our Health Insurance page for help with insurance, health insurance appeals, patient advocates for health insurance, etc.
For detailed information, subscribe to the PMP Pals' Network weekly e-newsletter!
Benefits Check Up
Financial Aid: Protect Yourself Against Disability Costs
Protecting Yourself from Long Term Disability Costs
Source: Web MD 10.18.11
Do you know the most common causes of long term disability?
Do you have adequate medical leave or insurance?
How long will your savings last if you become disabled?
Chemotherapy Financial Assistance
Compassionate care programs to assist in payment for chemo and other medications
Medication assistance payment programs
Free Online Publications
Sign up for a FREE online subscription to CURE magazine!
Sign up for FREE access to AARP online bulletin!
Sign up for FREE access to AARP online bulletin!
Family Leave Medical Act
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Provides employees and family caregivers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually.
Visit the FMLA website for eligibility requirements
Provides employees and family caregivers with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave annually.
Visit the FMLA website for eligibility requirements
Financial Aid and Resources in Australia
Centrelink Benefits for Australian Patients
Senior Services in Australia
Source: Centrelink
New South Wales Health Dept
Senior Services in Australia
Source: Centrelink
New South Wales Health Dept
Benefits in California
Financial Aid and Resources in the United Kingdom
Federal Employment for the Disabled in the United States
Financial Aid Benefits in the USA
Benefits Checkup:
Take this questionnaire to find out what type of assistance you qualify for from several different organizations.
General Benefits in the USA (this website provides a wide scope of services and information.)
United States Government Benefits: includes Disability, MediCaid/Medicare, Veterans' Services, Housing and more
Take this questionnaire to find out what type of assistance you qualify for from several different organizations.
General Benefits in the USA (this website provides a wide scope of services and information.)
United States Government Benefits: includes Disability, MediCaid/Medicare, Veterans' Services, Housing and more
Financial Aid and Veteran's Benefits in the United States
Health Insurance
Medicare Benefits in the USA
Medicare
Help with payment of MediCare premiums Part A and BMedicare benefits (help for family caregivers)
Help with payment of MediCare premiums Part A and BMedicare benefits (help for family caregivers)
Prescription Drug Discounts
SNAP Nutrition Assistance
Stay informed!
Social Security Benefits
Social Security Benefits and Disability Insurance for Cancer Patients
The Social Security Administration's "Compassionate Allowances" program provides for the expedited review of disability applications from patients with severely disabling diseases and conditions.
"Compassionate Allowances" are a method of quickly identifying diseases that may qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. For many patients, these benefits include government health insurance coverage.
Diagnoses and conditions included in this program:
Bladder Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
Esophageal Cancer
Gallbladder Cancer
Kidney Cancer - inoperable or unresectable
Large Intestine Cancer - with distant metastasis or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Liver Cancer
Mucosal Malignant Melanoma
Ovarian Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
Pancreatic Cancer
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma
Small Cell Cancer (of the Large Intestine, Ovary, Prostate, or Uterus)
Small Intestine Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Stomach Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Ureter Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Social Security Compassionate Allowance Introduction (overview)
Source: Social Security Administration, July 2011
Social Security Complete Listing of Compassionate Care Diagnoses)
Source: SSA July 2011
Disability Benefits for Social Security
National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives
Toll free phone number: 1.800.431.2804
This organizations assists claimants in applying for Soc Sec disability benefits or appealing denial if those benefits have been denied.
SSI Supplemental Security Income
Source: About Gov
Health Care and Social Service Benefits
How to Appeal a Social Security Denial
FAQs for Social Security Disability Benefits
(as presented by the Social Security Administration)
Question: Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security benefits?
Answer: The five month waiting period ensures that during the early months of disability, we do not pay benefits to persons who do not have long-term disabilities. Social Security disability benefits can be paid only after you have been disabled continuously throughout a period of five full calendar months. Therefore, Social Security disability benefits will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began.Note: these time periods may change effective Feb 2010 per the Compassionate Allowances program.
Question I currently receive Social Security disability benefits. My disabilities have worsened and I have other health problems. Can my monthly benefit amount be increased?
Answer No. Your Social Security disability benefit is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began and not the degree or severity of your disability.
Question Does Social Security use a list of impairments to determine if I can get disability benefits?
Answer For an adult to be considered disabled by Social Security, you must have
a medical condition that prevents you from working and that is expected to last for at least one year or result in death. We use a five-step process to decide whether you are disabled. As part of that process, we check to see if you have a condition as described in the listing of impairments. If you do, we consider your medical condition to be disabling. Even if your particular medical condition is not on the list, you may still be found disabled.
For more information about the disability decision process, read the booklet, Social Security Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029).The booklet explains the requirements for receiving disability benefits and the five-step process.
You also can find descriptions of the conditions that appear in the Listing of Impairments in the publication,
Disability Evaluation Under Social Security" (SSA Publication No. 64-039), also referred to as "The Blue Book."
This publication is intended primarily for physicians and other health professionals.
For detailed information, subscribe to the PMP Pals' Network weekly e-newsletter!
The Social Security Administration's "Compassionate Allowances" program provides for the expedited review of disability applications from patients with severely disabling diseases and conditions.
"Compassionate Allowances" are a method of quickly identifying diseases that may qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits. For many patients, these benefits include government health insurance coverage.
Diagnoses and conditions included in this program:
Bladder Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
Esophageal Cancer
Gallbladder Cancer
Kidney Cancer - inoperable or unresectable
Large Intestine Cancer - with distant metastasis or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Liver Cancer
Mucosal Malignant Melanoma
Ovarian Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable or unresectable
Pancreatic Cancer
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Pleural Mesothelioma
Small Cell Cancer (of the Large Intestine, Ovary, Prostate, or Uterus)
Small Intestine Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Stomach Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Ureter Cancer - with distant metastases or inoperable, unresectable or recurrent
Social Security Compassionate Allowance Introduction (overview)
Source: Social Security Administration, July 2011
Social Security Complete Listing of Compassionate Care Diagnoses)
Source: SSA July 2011
Disability Benefits for Social Security
National Organization of Social Security Claimant Representatives
Toll free phone number: 1.800.431.2804
This organizations assists claimants in applying for Soc Sec disability benefits or appealing denial if those benefits have been denied.
SSI Supplemental Security Income
Source: About Gov
Health Care and Social Service Benefits
How to Appeal a Social Security Denial
FAQs for Social Security Disability Benefits
(as presented by the Social Security Administration)
Question: Why is there a five-month waiting period for Social Security benefits?
Answer: The five month waiting period ensures that during the early months of disability, we do not pay benefits to persons who do not have long-term disabilities. Social Security disability benefits can be paid only after you have been disabled continuously throughout a period of five full calendar months. Therefore, Social Security disability benefits will be paid for the sixth full month after the date your disability began.Note: these time periods may change effective Feb 2010 per the Compassionate Allowances program.
Question I currently receive Social Security disability benefits. My disabilities have worsened and I have other health problems. Can my monthly benefit amount be increased?
Answer No. Your Social Security disability benefit is based on the amount of your lifetime earnings before your disability began and not the degree or severity of your disability.
Question Does Social Security use a list of impairments to determine if I can get disability benefits?
Answer For an adult to be considered disabled by Social Security, you must have
a medical condition that prevents you from working and that is expected to last for at least one year or result in death. We use a five-step process to decide whether you are disabled. As part of that process, we check to see if you have a condition as described in the listing of impairments. If you do, we consider your medical condition to be disabling. Even if your particular medical condition is not on the list, you may still be found disabled.
For more information about the disability decision process, read the booklet, Social Security Disability Benefits (Publication No. 05-10029).The booklet explains the requirements for receiving disability benefits and the five-step process.
You also can find descriptions of the conditions that appear in the Listing of Impairments in the publication,
Disability Evaluation Under Social Security" (SSA Publication No. 64-039), also referred to as "The Blue Book."
This publication is intended primarily for physicians and other health professionals.
For detailed information, subscribe to the PMP Pals' Network weekly e-newsletter!
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Copyright 2012 by PMP Pals' Network/All rights reserved. Updated 12.18.11
