Financial and Career Implications of Cancer

Hi Indenial,

It's good to be aware that there are two different Social Security Disability programs - SSI and SSDI. The disability qualifications for both are the same and with metastatic breast cancer, you should be approved via their fast track system https://www.ssa.gov/compassionateallowances/

But there are differences. If you've worked and earned enough $ and Social Security credits, you'll get SSDI. The good news is there is no property limit ($2000 per individual). The bad news is there is a 5 month wait period for income and a further 24 month wait period for Medicare eligibility. When Medicare kicks in, you'll need to find secondary insurance to cover deductibles, co-pays and prescription costs.

SSI has the property limits, but there is no waiting period for income and Medicaid kicks in immediately.

Whichever program you're applying for, it's important that your disability date be as far back as reasonably possible. The date you last worked, not the date you applied.

If you are granted SSI, then you might receive back payments that will take you over the $2000 property limit. There are rules about how to spend the money...you might be able to repay a loan or purchase important things for your family and yourself.

And, I've heard but don't know that dependents can get Social Security income based on their parent's disability.

It's important to understand the two different programs in general and your eligibilty in specific.

Here's a good primer -

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/disability-...

My public library has Nolo books...perhaps yours does too?

Indenial, this is very complex and you'll need to contact Social Security to find out which program you are eligible for and what your income would be. Every agent seems to tell a slightly different story. When you get the story you want, try to get it in writing (make it official).

Good luck finding your way through the Social Security maze.

Blessings and warm wishes, Stephanie

P.S. It's possible that your Obamacare representative can help you evaluate continued coverage as your situation changes.

Interesting news:

How the economic recession is tied to cancer deaths

The recession that hit in 2008 and the two-year economic crisis that followed has been tied to a rise in cancer-related deaths, some of which may have been preventable. A new longitudinal analysis in the Lancet finds that there was an excess burden of 260,000 cancer-related deaths associated with that recession. The researchers observed that as unemployment increased, so did mortality for all cancer types examined. That held true even for those that, like breast and prostate cancer, typically have survival rates over 50 percent.

Interestingly, that trend wasn't seen in all recession-hit countries. The UK, for instance, didn't see an appreciable rise in cancer deaths, likely thanks to its universal health care.

Lancet story link:

Economic downturns, universal health coverage, and cancer mortality in high-income and middle-income countries, 1990–2010: a longitudinal analysis

Dr Mahiben Maruthappu, MA†, Johnathan Watkins, MA†, Aisyah Mohd Noor, MRes, Callum Williams, BA, Raghib Ali, DPH, Prof Richard Sullivan, MD, Prof Thomas Zeltner, MD, Prof Rifat Atun, FRCP†

Published Online: 25 May 2016

Summary

Background

The global economic crisis has been associated with increased unemployment and reduced public-sector expenditure on health care (PEH). We estimated the effects of changes in unemployment and PEH on cancer mortality, and identified how universal health coverage (UHC) affected these relationships.

Methods

For this longitudinal analysis, we obtained data from the World Bank and WHO (1990–2010). We aggregated mortality data for breast cancer in women, prostate cancer in men, and colorectal cancers in men and women, which are associated with survival rates that exceed 50%, into a treatable cancer class. We likewise aggregated data for lung and pancreatic cancers, which have 5 year survival rates of less than 10%, into an untreatable cancer class. We used multivariable regression analysis, controlling for country-specific demographics and infrastructure, with time-lag analyses and robustness checks to investigate the relationship between unemployment, PEH, and cancer mortality, with and without UHC. We used trend analysis to project mortality rates, on the basis of trends before the sharp unemployment rise that occurred in many countries from 2008 to 2010, and compared them with observed rates.

Results

Data were available for 75 countries, representing 2106 billion people, for the unemployment analysis and for 79 countries, representing 2156 billion people, for the PEH analysis. Unemployment rises were significantly associated with an increase in all-cancer mortality and all specific cancers except lung cancer in women. By contrast, untreatable cancer mortality was not significantly linked with changes in unemployment. Lag analyses showed significant associations remained 5 years after unemployment increases for the treatable cancer class. Rerunning analyses, while accounting for UHC status, removed the significant associations. All-cancer, treatable cancer, and specific cancer mortalities significantly decreased as PEH increased. Time-series analysis provided an estimate of more than 40 000 excess deaths due to a subset of treatable cancers from 2008 to 2010, on the basis of 2000–07 trends. Most of these deaths were in non-UHC countries.

Interpretation

Unemployment increases are associated with rises in cancer mortality; UHC seems to protect against this effect. PEH increases are associated with reduced cancer mortality. Access to health care could underlie these associations. We estimate that the 2008–10 economic crisis was associated with about 260 000 excess cancer-related deaths in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development alone.

Funding

None.