June 5th commermorated National Cancer Survivors’ Day. The occasion celebrated cancer survivors’ strength and determination. The first Sunday of June is typically National Cancer Survivors’ Day, and is meant to be a celebration of those who have beaten cancer.
The National Cancer Survivors’ Day website defines a survivor as any individual who has been diagnosed with cancer, has undergone treatment for cancer, is living with cancer, had cancer as a child, or someone who is now free from cancer.
One of the major worries that cancer patients have after their diagnosis is the economic impact of the disease. According to some estimates, the total healthcare cost to Americans from cancer every year is as high as $80 billion. However, it is not just medical costs that can cripple a person financially, but also the fact that in many cases, cancer patients are no longer able to work and earn a living. The financial impact of being unable to work can be crushing for cancer patients as well as their families.
Applying for Social Security disability benefits could be the first step towards helping meet some of those expenses during a time when it is difficult for the patient to work. Fortunately, the Social Security Administration makes it easier to quickly receive benefits for certain types of cancer that spread very fast. The Compassionate Allowances program allows for expedited processing of claims involving certain types of cancers that are either recurrent or not responsive to treatment.