Job Security
Cancer patients who are currently
employed should contact a Human Resource representative
regarding long- and short-term disability programs
as well as information about the Family and Medical
Leave Act. If a cancer patient is unemployed
and disabled, he or she should contact the Social
Security Administration.
All patients who are concerned with job security
or their potential for employment should be familiar
with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
(ADA). This act makes it unlawful to discriminate
in employment against an individual with a disability
who is qualified for the job. More information regarding
this act as well as other rights can be found
at the Department of
Labor and the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) websites.
If you need to find a new job because you can
no longer do the type of work you did before
cancer, you may meet the guidelines for job rehabilitation
through the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of
1973.
Insurability
If a cancer patient
faces an insurability issue after diagnosis, he should
contact the state agency for insurance regulation.
While insurance for cancer patients is a hot
topic for patient advocacy, the patient actually
has few rights. Insurability may not be intertwined
with job security because an employer cannot
legally dismiss an employee because of an increase
in insurance premiums. For more on insurance/job
security issues, please visit Facing
Forward,
a CancerNet guide for Cancer Survivors. If you feel
that you have been treated unjustly by your
insurance provider, you should contact
your state's Insurance Commission.
Financial Services
Special consideration is
sometimes available to patients dealing with
cancer. Often local utility companies offer special
rates or negotiate with customers that are inhibited
by cancer treatment or conditions. Contact
your local phone, electric, water, etc. companies
to inquire about these programs.
Some organizations even offer financial assistance
to cancer patients and their families. One such organization is CancerCare.org.
Click on this link to
visit their website.
Transportation
Getting to and from
treatment sessions can be difficult for cancer patients.
Several organizations offer transportation
services, such as the American
Cancer Society and the Leukemia
Society of America. Call the Triangle
chapter of the American Cancer Society at (919)
834-8463 to ask about ACS's Road to Recovery
volunteer transportation program. In addition, local
government agencies often offer low-cost transportation
(para-transit) to individuals unable to use
public transportation. Contact these offices for
more information and ask your cancer specialist
for other local aid in transportation.
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