The downside with Medicaid is that they will make you divest any property you have to pay them back. In Karens situation it works well for her boyfriend since he is not on the deed. You are automatically qualified for food stamps if you're getting SSI by the way.

I looked at the SSI elibility and you can't have more than $2,000.00 worth of liquidable assets, They don't count one car or tools of the trade.

SSDI is the Social Security version of version of long term disablity insurance - you must have paid into it for quite a while to become eligible. I found an interesting link on detailed definitions of how they make the determination for cancer patients. http://www.ssa.gov/disability/professionals/bluebook/13.00-NeoplasticDiseases-Malignant-Adult.htm


This is a link to the benefits screening tool which will determine what program you are eligible for http://best.ssa.gov/

I guess my question is - what if you aren't disabled yet? My sister is meeting with the radiologists next Friday to determine her treatment. I'm just afraid if we wait for her to get to the point where she can't physically work, it will take to long for her to get approved. Gary - was your doc willing to say you were too disabled to work BEFORE your treatment began? It sounds like you took all the paperwork in, which we plan to do. I'm trying to be proactive by getting this taken care ahead of time but I don't know if I'm going about it right. I looked at the site that determines which program she's eligible for but it comes up nothing because at the current time, she can still work.

At the mention of work my boyfriends Dr told him that he would not be able to work for a while.This was the day he was diag.He applied for SSI before he started ANY tx and before his peg and port where placed.

Thanks, Karen. I think I'll have my sister call her doc and see if he'd be willing to write up something for SSI. She is hardly able to eat and is losing energy and she hasn't even started the radiation yet!

Gary,
Do you know how a private disability benefit may impact SSDI? anyone?
Do you need a specific note from the DFr. or is the diagnosis and pathology report sufficient for them in the application.
Mark

My question has to do with SSDI application which my son applied for in September. He had SCC surgery removing 1/6 of his right side tongue and is in radiation treatment now. It's been slow getting things to happen with SSDI but today my son received a letter asking him to come to an appt on November 22 because they needed more medical information and mentioned a mental test. Does anyone know what this involves? Has anyone ever had to take this sort of mental test? My son has been seeing a therapist for the past two years for depression (out of work, no health insurance) and his therapist is in the same building as the appointment for the SSDI test. Thanks so much for all your helpful posts.

Anne-Marie, when it became apparant that my husband would not be able to return to work in the foreseeable future after his 1st surgery and radiation, he applied for SSDI.He did not have to meet with anyone personally, but I filled out tons of paperwork[and so did his Docs.] and spent many hours on the phone with our SS case worker. The mental test part may have to do with your son's previous medical history, depresion, etc. Good luck and don't give up. Amy