Everyday People Matter

BREAST CANCER AND SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY MYTHS DISPELLED

| Nov 11, 2019 | Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States. About 1 in every 8 American women will develop some form of breast cancer during her lifetime. Early detection and diagnosis is key to a full recovery.

There are several myths around breast cancer and its eligibility for Social Security disability benefits that must be dismissed. In recent years, there has been a push towards discrediting mammograms as an ideal way to detect breast cancers.  However, thanks to an increasing array of medical technologies including 3D printing, we are now able to diagnose breast cancer using mammograms much more accurately than before. Women above 40 years old should schedule their mammograms.

Another common myth is that breast cancer always shows up in the form of a lump in the breast or underarm region. That is not always true.  Some symptoms of breast cancer like nipple discharge, inverted nipple, and skin rashes can show up even before there is a lump in the breast. Even changes in the breast skin and texture could be an initial sign of breast cancer that you should get checked out.

It’s also not true that if you are receiving disability benefits from your employer it will affect your eligibility for Social Security disability benefits. There will be no impact on your eligibility for benefits under the Social Security Disability Insurance program. Your SSDI benefits will, however, impact the amount that you receive under your employer’s disability benefits program.

Women who suffer from metastatic breast cancer will get their claim for disability benefits processed more quickly under the Compassionate Allowances program. Even if you are not suffering from metastatic breast cancer, you may still qualify for disability benefits. Contact this law firm about filing a claim.