There are a number of strategies of which cancer patients may avail themselves in order to try to manage working and treatment at the same time, as we discussed last week on our Kissimmee Social Security Disability law blog. Depending in part on the nature of their job as well as the specifics of their illness, it is possible for many to do so. But what happens when cancer treatment leads to a patient’s inability to work?
Cancer patients may feel, for many reasons, like they need to push themselves to keep working through treatment. However, this can end up hurting patients in several ways. For one thing, patients may actually harm their physical recovery by not getting the necessary rest and by over-exerting themselves on the job. And in addition, an application for short-term disability might be more susceptible to denial if it comes after a patient has been seen to be working “successfully” for some time during treatment.
If a cancer patient tries to keep on working despite declining job performance, the employer may decide to let that person go. This means a loss of income and any employer-based health insurance, of course. However, getting fired can also make it all but impossible to collect disability benefits.
The American Cancer Association, at the link below, provides a number of informational resources for individuals contemplating maintaining their employment during cancer treatment. For those who find that treatment has led to an inability to work, a legal professional can help them in their efforts to secure Social Security Disability benefits, even when a claim has initially been denied.
Source: American Cancer Society, “Working During Cancer Treatment,” accessed on Nov. 4, 2017
