Cancer Related Disability; Understanding Your Coverage
Funding Provides a Safety Net When Undergoing Treatment
Disability benefits can be provided by your employer, the government, or your respective private insurance policies. Funding options can provide a safety net when undergoing treatment or when patients are unable to work. In some cases, patients may qualify for long-term disability benefits if they aren’t able to return to work and their impairments are too limiting. Each program has specific eligibility criteria; this blog will aim to lay out funding options and guide you to the respective agency websites for more detail.
Short Term Government Programs
When diagnosed with cancer, patients qualify for E.I (employment insurance sickness benefit) for up to 15 weeks. Applications are available online through the government of Canada EI section.
This short-term funding can be useful in the early stages when you need time to prioritize appointments and partake in treatments. Often patients will apply for E.I sickness benefit prior to undergoing their chemotherapy or other treatments. This can allow for up to 15 weeks of treatment and a focus on the recovery phase.
Short Term Disability
The definition of ‘short term’ varies within each program; typically, it is defined as any period less than 6 months.
Many insurance companies in Canada such as Manulife, Pacific Blue Cross, Green Shield, and Canada life amongst others, offer employee insurance for a period ranging from 8 to 26 weeks. Check with your employer to learn more about your specific insurance provider. A claim will need to be submitted and approved. A case manager will then be assigned to you and in touch regularly.
The case manager will aim to understand your treatment schedule, your standard recovery timeline along with your return-to-work expectations. The goal with short term disability is to plan for a return to work. Post treatment a gradual return to work plan (GRTW plan) will likely be proposed. The GRTW plan is best as a collaborative effort between your employer, medical care team, insurance case manager and rehab team such as a cancer physiotherapist, occupational therapist or vocational rehab counsellor.
Make sure to check in with your case manager to understand what rehab and extended medical benefits you may qualify for while on short term disability. At times, physiotherapy funding amongst other rehab supports may increase to support recovery and a return to work.
Short term disability policies or disability insurance may also be an option for those who purchased a policy through an independent insurance broker or bank. Private policies vary in the period before the funding commences, along with their respective monthly coverage.
An Insurance Claim Case Manager
Will Be Assigned to You
Long Term Disability
At times, patients may have ongoing treatments or cancer related conditions that are burdening. Cancer is considered a long-term disability when the symptom impairment is too great to support a return to work. In this case, patients can apply for long term disability funding through their employer, medical insurance and through the government of Canada. Often after 2 years, if the limitations remain too great for your previous work related position, return to work discussions may involve alternative work evaluation .
Service Canada Benefits
Service Canada Pension Plan Disability Benefit (CPPDB) is one example for those younger than 65 years old that may require a long-term coverage option. The form is available online; the application requires comprehensive medical documentation about your diagnosis and cancer related conditions.
In the case of submitting a CPPDB application; your family physician, oncologist, physiotherapist and other medical specialists may have to fill out components and provide relevant medical documentation. Typically, I encourage patients to involve many members of their care team; the more comprehensive your application is in detailing your cancer related conditions, the more likely you will be accepted. You may have to pay out of pocket fees to have this comprehensive form completed by some members of your medical team.
Here at the cancer physio, we may be able to provide a diagnosis for your cancer related symptoms, such as:
Cancer related fatigue
Radiation fibrosis syndrome
Chemotherapy induced vestibular neuropathy
Chemotherapy induced peripheral neuropathies
When a diagnosis is listed, we can then provide medical outcome measures and a clinical assessment as to how these conditions may be impacting your ability to function, in relation to your job demands.
Your Cancer Related Symptoms may be Diagnosable Conditions; Adding Credibility to Your Dissability Claim
In the case of long-term disability, often CPPDB amongst others may require an annual re-assessment; it is important to re-evaluate your cancer related conditions through a comprehensive cancer rehab assessment, to assess if they have improved. In some cases, the government may offer support for patients to participate in a vocational rehabilitation program.
Data reports that often patients still return to work after a year of leave, despite being on long term disability. To increase the chance of a successful return to work, patients should approach discussions around returning to work gradually. Comprehensive rehab support of a cancer physiotherapist and rehab team is paramount. in the creation of a personalized GRTW plan.
Denied Claims
Unfortunately, some cancer related long-term disability claims are denied. Some patients will engage in support from a lawyer, but to be one step ahead, assure that your claim has the following:
Sufficient evidence of an inability to work
An insurance company may understand that you can do sedentary work, or other work unrelated to your previous employment. A thorough functional and clinical assessment completed by a cancer physiotherapist may help advocate on your behalf as to how your cancer related conditions may be impacting your ability to work.
Understand pre-existing conditions; focus on the cancer treatment related conditions
If there is evidence of medical conditions that were present prior to your diagnosis, they are termed pre-existing conditions. At times these medical conditions may have symptom overlap with cancer. Assure that your functional evaluation and medical documentation emphasizes the cancer related conditions that have arisen since the treatment. Document how these conditions effect your function in relation to your job demands.
Organize Your Documents, Detailing Your
Diagnosis, Symptoms, Reports and Treatments
Organize a Narrative
Track your symptoms and how your health has been impacted over time. Keep a record of all the specialist/doctor appointments, rehab support appointments, medical tests and imaging results.
Stay in touch with your care community (psychologist, physiotherapist, family physician etc.)
Ensure that you are in touch with your care community regularly; assuring that any changes in your symptoms are up to date and documented medically. Patient engagement and up to date records add to the strength of your claim.
We hope this blog has been helpful in understanding your disability funding options.
Thank you for your interest in science and rehab,
Kindly, The Cancer Physio
