Social Security Disability For Terminal Illness
Does terminal illness qualify for Disability? Yes. Social Security Disability for terminal illness is possible. Being diagnosed with terminal illnesses can be devastating to everyone in your life because you have to come to terms with the fact that you are dying. Not only that, but your family needs to find a way to let you enjoy what time you have left, as well as learn to face a world that doesn’t include you. This time can be extremely hard on everyone involved.
That said, you still need to pay your bills. You may even have more, due to your health complications. Your medical bills can really add up. Not only that, but you aren’t going to be able to work and support your loved ones. Thankfully, you should be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. In fact, the Social Security Administration (SSA) expedites applications where people have a terminal illness. This program is called Terminal Illness Program (TERI).
How Can You Apply as a TERI Case?
The SSA will look for the following to determine if you have a terminal illness.
- Your doctor (or even a family member or friend) will need to alert the SSA that your illness is terminal.
- You may already be receiving inpatient or home hospice care.
- You are diagnosed with certain diseases, such as ALS or AIDS.
Which Terminal Illnesses Qualify for TERI?
Certain conditions send flags to the SSA so that they know that you may have a terminal disease. This will allow you to get your benefits early. Some of these include if:
- You are on a life-sustaining device.
- You have been in a coma for at least thirty days.
- You are waiting for an organ transplant, such as a heart, bone marrow, or liver transplant. Kidney and corneal transplants do not qualify.
- You have heart failure and are on oxygen.
- Your newborn baby has a terminal illness that may be congenital or genetic.
- You are dealing with stage four metastatic cancer.
- Your cancer is inoperable or is not affected by your treatment.
- You are facing cancer in your esophagus, pancreas, liver, gallbladder, brain, or anything similar.
That said, your benefits can still take time to get approved. You need to let SSA know that you are facing a TERI situation and you need your benefits sooner rather than later. This will get your application at the front of the line. Otherwise, you may wait months before anyone looks at your benefits. By then, it may be too late to help you.
What Else Can You Do If You Have Terminal Illnesses?
The best way to ensure that your application gets in front of the right people in a timely fashion is to talk to a lawyer. He or she will be able to help you through the whole process. By ensuring that your application is filled out properly, and you have the right evidence to show them that you are facing a terminal illness, you are more likely to get your benefits quickly. Any mistake could set you back a few weeks or even months. Even worse, you may get denied, where you would be facing the appeals process, which could take even longer! For this reason, you need to talk to someone who knows what he or she is doing.
If you have been diagnosed with a terminal disease that doesn’t allow you to support yourself and your loved ones, give us a call at 770-955-3000. Here at The Keener Law Firm, we will meet with you for a FREE thirty-minute consultation to see what is going on. At that time, we will determine if we are able to help you get the compensation that you deserve. We want to make your last days (and months) count!