[Pam P]

Here's another question I thought of that concerns me. I emailed the question to the disability service provider and got the response below. This could be (good healthwise) but bad financially - out of benefits - out of work. Any others on disability where this has happened? How concerned should I be about this?

Pam's question: If at some point my cancer stabilized so that I would for a time not be actively on chemo (they don't really call it remission, but rather no evidence of disease) yet that doesn't change the fact that I could be on other types of maintenance medication does that affect my disability? This has happened to me only a couple of times during the last 8 years and only lasted for a few months each time. It doesn't mean I'm 'cancer free' cured or whatever, I still would be stage 4 breast cancer; the diagnosis would be unchanged (unless/until a real cure for cancer is found as we all hope).
Reply from service agent:
When you get to the point where your cancer stabilizes, it is up to your doctor to say whether or not you are ready to resume working. If your doctor states you are ready to return to work full time, your disability benefits would end and you would be eligible to return to work.
Aetna (the Vendor we use to administer disability benefits) will conduct periodic reviews with your treating doctors to obtain updated treatment plans; medications prescribed and taken and return to work expectations. Aetna will follow your disability status very diligently.
If at some point you are not in active treatment and your cancer goes into remission, your disability benefits could be terminated. If you receive a termination notification from Aetna and you do not agree with the termination determination, there is an appeal process you can utilize in bringing additional medical information to the attention of the appeals committee to confirm your total disability.
If you agree with the determination to terminate disability benefits, your disability benefits would terminate and you would be eligible to return to work.
If you return to an ELCA employer and are again sponsored in the ELCA Benefits Plans and you become disabled within 6 months of being termed from disability status, you would need to submit current medical documentation that indicates your current disability results from the same disability that you were termed from 6 months prior. You would not need to submit another application only updated medical information to have Aetna make a determination. If they determine you are totally disabled, the two month waiting period would be waived and disability benefits would begin again as thou they had not been terminated. If you become disabled after the first 6 months have passed and you are being sponsored by an ELCA employer, you would need to submit a new application and go thru the disability process again in order for a determination to be made.