If you have been diagnosed with kidney cancer and your condition prevents you from working, you may be eligible for Social Security disability benefits. These benefits can help cover your expenses while you’re unable to work.
In order to determine your eligibility to receive disability benefits, the Social Security Administration will review your application. You must submit medical documentation to support your claim, along with evidence that you were once able to work full time.
The application process can be arduous, and so some applicants hire a Social Security attorney to help gather all of the information and submit it to the SSA.
Medical Documents Needed in Your Application
The first thing that the Social Security Administration will need to determine is whether your kidney cancer will prevent you from working for at least 12 months. To do this, the SSA requires an extensive amount of medical documentation supporting your kidney cancer diagnosis. That documentation includes the following information:
- A report from your physician outlining your diagnosis, your medical history as it pertains to the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of your kidney cancer. The report should also outline the symptoms of your condition and any limitations it presents with regards to work
- Test results: Surgery reports when applicable, imaging results including CT scans and MRI, lab tests and any other results from diagnostic procedures
- The names of all physicians who have treated your kidney cancer, including their phone numbers and their office locations
- A list of all medical facilities that you have visited for your kidney cancer
- A list of all medications you are taking as part of your treatment plan, including a list of any side effects
Other Information You’ll Need
The Social Security Administration will evaluate your claim based upon your application and the medical documentation you provide, in addition to evidence that you were able to work full time prior to your kidney cancer diagnosis.
In order to process your claim, you need to include the following information:
- Your Social Security number and a certified copy of your birth certificate
- Your most recent W-2 and federal tax return
- A list of your work history, along with a description of the work you performed that you can no longer perform as a result of your kidney cancer diagnosis
How a Social Security Attorney Can Help You with Your Application
Between the application itself, the medical documentation required and the supporting work documents, the process of applying for Social Security disability benefits can be a challenge for anyone. In order to ensure that you file your application properly, you might consider hiring a Social Security attorney.
The benefit to hiring a Social Security attorney is that you will have an advocate through the process. Your lawyer can help ensure that your have all of the required documentation while helping to guide you through each step. Should your case be denied, your Social Security attorney can help with your appeal.
You don’t need to pay for a Social Security lawyer in order to start your case, rather they work on a contingency basis and will only require payment when they win your claim. Complete the Free Case Evaluation on this page today.
