Paul, it took me over 2 years to get mine approved through appeals and even going to the Social Security Oversight Committee Chair and back then the allowable rate was $50/tooth. I was told that was the beginning period for any coverage. Back then, head and neck cancer was also an automatic approval of Social Security Disability. The major university cancer center I was treated at also had a full dental clinic that performed pre-treatment screenings and even provided a post-treatment plan for continued care. Medicare and private insurance started scaling back on what was covered and as everything became exempt, the clinic eventually closed. It seems like the more of us there are, the worse aftercare gets.


SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023