Acute Leukemia and Social Security Disability

A diagnosis of acute leukemia can be devastating to an individual and their family. Not only does the condition itself cause symptoms that can make it hard to maintain employment, the treatments for the disease also have severe side effects that make it impossible to work. Individuals who are suffering from acute leukemia often wonder how they will make ends meet and how they will be able to afford the medical treatments they need in order to fight this deadly disease. In many cases, Social Security Disability benefits can help. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with acute leukemia, and you are wondering how it affects your eligibility for Social Security Disability benefits, the following information will help you understand the disability claim process and how the Social Security Administration reviews acute lukemia claims.

Acute Leukemia Condition and Symptoms

Acute leukemia is a condition that occurs when an individual's hematopoietic stem cells begin to mutate and the cells begin to reproduce at abnormally high rates. As the cell mutations continue, the mutated cells begin to replace the healthy cells in the body's bone marrow and the healthy hematopoietic cells begin to die. This results in granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia and anemia. The mutated cells can then spread to the other organs of the body, including the lymph nodes, liver and spleen.

Acute leukemia will usually go undetected for quite some time since symptoms are not common in the early stages of the disease. However, once the disease has progressed, individuals can experience anemia, infection, easy bruising, bleeding, fatigue, fever, weight loss, chest pain, headaches, vomiting, irritability, rash and, in rare cases, seizures.

The goal of treatment for a patient with acute leukemia is complete remission of the cancer. Unfortunately, this rarely occurs in cases where the disease has gone long undetected. In most cases, patients who have developed the condition will be treated with chemotherapy and a doctor will focus on making the patient as comfortable as possible.

Filing for Social Security Disability with Acute Leukemia

Acute leukemia is listed as a qualifying disability in the SSA's Blue Book under Medical Listing 13.06A. Under the guidelines that are presented by this published listing, a patient is considered to be disabled for at least 24 months from the date of a diagnosis of acute leukemia or the date of a relapse. If an acute leukemia patient undergoes a bone marrow or stem cell transplant, they will be considered to be disabled for a period of 12 months following the surgery or 24 months from the date of diagnosis, whichever is longer.

Because acute leukemia automatically qualifies an individual for Social Security Disability benefits, you will likely be approved during the initial stage of the application process. However, you will have to provide the Social Security Administration with enough medical evidence to prove your diagnosis. Copies of your medical records, treatment histories and lab results should be submitted along with your Social Security Disability claim to increase your chances of a hassle-free Social Security Disability claim.

When filing your initial claim for Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income, you may want to have a disability attorney or advocate review your SSD application to ensure it has been properly filled out so that there will be no question as to your eligibility for the disability benefits you need.

Acute Leukemia and Your Social Security Disability Case

Because acute leukemia automatically qualifies an individual for Social Security Disability benefits under the SSA's published disability guidelines, chances of your application being denied during the initial stage of the disability claim process are minimal. However, if your claim is denied you will want to consult with a Social Security Disability attorney or advocate as soon as possible. These professionals will help you understand why your initial claim was denied and they will appeal your case to the Social Security Administration, explaining why you are eligible for benefits under the published Medical Listings.

If, after the 24 month disability period that you are allowed by the Social Security Administration, you are still unable to work due to your condition, the SSA will review your residual functional work capacity. If they try to stop your benefits at this time, your attorney can appeal this decision and you can continue to receive benefits throughout the appeal process.

To learn more about filing for disability benefits with acute leukemia or to learn more about working with a Social Security Disability lawyer, simply fill out the form for a free evaluation of your SSD case.