Childhood cancer survivors are five times more likely to have enrolled in a Social Security disability assistance program than other citizens, a new American study concludes. “The long-term impact of cancer can affect other issues besides health outcomes,” said the lead author on the study. “We need to do a better job of helping people function throughout their lives, not just when they’re finishing their cancer therapy.”
The study looked at health insurance surveys completed in 2011-2012 by a random sample of 698 childhood cancer survivors that were diagnosed between the ages of 0-20–today they range in age from their 20s to early 60s. The patients are part of a National Cancer Institute initiative, called the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study, which has followed more than 14,000 children and adolescents since 1994 who were diagnosed with cancer and survived for at least five years after diagnosis. A comparison group of 210 siblings without cancer also responded to the survey and were used as a control for the study.
Kirchhoff said they looked at current or former enrollment on two federal disability programs: SSI for people with limited income who have no prior work history, and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which pays disability benefits to adults ages 18 years and older who have worked and paid social security taxes.
They found that a total of 13.5 percent of survivors had ever been enrolled on SSI, while 10 percent had ever been enrolled on SSDI. This was significantly higher than was found for the comparison group, 2.6 percent on SSI and 5.4 percent on SSDI. Survivors were also currently enrolled in SSI more frequently than the U.S. population, 7.3 percent versus 2.5 percent, respectively.
via Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150421131724.htm
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