 SSDRC Filing a Social Security Disability Application - How to File & the Information that is Needed by SSA Do you need a Lawyer at the Administrative Law Judge Disability Hearing? Social Security Disability Back pay and How Long it Takes to Qualify for it How do you prove your disability case if you have a mental condition? What Can I Do to Improve My Chances of Winning Disability Benefits Common Mistakes after Receiving a Denial of benefits If You Get Approved For SSDI Will You Also Get Medicare? How much is paid for the Social Security Disability Attorney Fee? How long does it take to be approved for SSI or Social Security disability? How To Get Disability Through SSDI or SSI Approved Should you get Help from a Disability Attorney before the Claim has been Denied? Answers to questions about SSD and SSI disability Qualifying for Disability - What is Social Security Looking for? How do I check the status of my Social Security disability claim? What Expenses Will A Social Security Attorney Charge In Addition To The Fee? |
Facts about Prostate Cancer and Filing for DisabilityHow to prove you are disabled and win disability benefits 1. In the United States alone, it is estimated that one out of every six men may develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. While some cases of prostate cancer may not be severe or destructive, other cases may be very aggressive and life-threatening. 2. The earlier prostate cancer is detected, the better the chances are of treating it and keeping it confined to the prostate gland. Unfortunately, many cases are not diagnosed until the cancer has spread outside the prostate gland and into other areas of the body. 3. It is important that high risk men, and all men over the age of 50, get routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests, or a digital rectal exams (DRE), to keep a close eye on their prostate health. 4. In many cases of prostate cancer there are not noticeable symptoms until the cancer has spread outside the prostate gland and is in an advanced form of the disease. Initial symptoms may include urinary problems, such as starting and stopping while urinating, having to push to get a urinary stream, or trouble urinating in general. In some cases there will also be blood in the semen or urine. 5. Advanced stages of prostate cancer that have spread to the bones, lymph nodes or pelvic area may shows symptoms such as bone pain, leg swelling, pelvic discomfort, or bone fractures. 6. Risk factors for prostate cancer include being obese, having high testosterone levels, being over the age of 50, eating a high-fat diet, and being an African-American man. You may also be at a higher risk if prostate cancer is found in your immediate family. 7. There are four stages to prostate cancer. Stage one is when the cancerous tumor cannot be felt by your doctor. Stage two can be felt by your doctor, but is still only located in the prostate gland. Stage three has moved beyond the prostate to nearby areas, and stage four prostate cancer has moved to the lungs, bones, lymph nodes or other areas in the body. 8. Since the risk for prostate cancer is so high, men should get tested regularly, eat a low-fat, healthy diet, and get plenty of exercise to help stabilize their weight and keep testosterone levels healthy. Can you qualify for disability benefits with this condition? Whether or not you qualify for disability and, as a result, are approved for disability benefits will depend entirely on the information obtained from your medical records. This includes whatever statements may have been obtained from your treating physician (a doctor who has a history of treating your condition and is, therefore, qualified to comment as to your condition and prognosis). It will also depend on the information obtained from your vocational, or work, history if you are an adult, or academic records if you are a minor-age child. The important thing to keep in mind is that the social security administration does not award benefits based on simply having a condition, but, instead, will base an approval or denial on the extent to which a condition causes functional limitations. Functional limitations can be great enough to make work activity not possible (or, for a child, make it impossible to engage in age-appropriate activities). Why are so many disability cases lost at the disability application and reconsideration appeal levels? Speaking as a former Disability Claims Examiner, I can state that there are several reasons: 1) Social Security makes no attempt to obtain a statement from a claimant's treating physician. By contrast, at the hearing level, a claimant and his or her disability attorney will generally obtain and present this type of statement to a judge; 2) Prior to the hearing level, a claimant will not have the opportunity to explain how their condition limits them, nor will their attorney or representative have the opportunity to make a presentation based on the evidence of the case. At the hearing level, of course, this is exactly what happens. And a number of disability representatives will also take such steps even earlier, at the reconsideration appeal level; 3) Disability judges, unlike disability examiners who decides cases at the first two levels of the system, can make independent decisions without being overturned by immediate supervisors--which happens frequently. 
Return to: SSDRC, or the Questions, Answers, Tips, and Advice page Topics and Questions Other Links SSD and SSI are Federal Programs The title II Social Security Disability and title 16 SSI Disability programs operate under federal guidelines and, therefore, the program requirements--medical and non-medical--apply to all states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming Recent approval and denial statistics for various states can be viewed here: Social Security Disability, SSI Approval and Denial Statistics by state Special Section: Disability Lawyers and unnecessary claim denials |