Cancer Leads Causes for Long-Term Disability Claims

For the ninth consecutive year, cancer is the leading cause of long-term disability claims for Unum, followed closely by complicated pregnancies, according to 2009 claims data. Unum is a provider of employee benefits and services.

Cancer claims were 11.8 percent of long-term disability claims in 2009, while complications from pregnancy made up 11.7 percent of claims.

The leading reasons for Unum’s short-term disability claims in 2009 were maternity (22.6 percent of claims) and non-back injuries (9.5 percent of claims).

May, which is Disability Insurance Awareness Month, offers a good opportunity to highlight the important role benefits play in assisting to protect employees financially and keeping businesses strong, according to Diane Garofalo, vice president of long-term disability benefits for Unum.

Ensuring employers and employees understand the various elements of a plan beyond disability coverage are crucial, according to Garofalo. Critical illness insurance can help cover the considerable costs of fighting cancer, and Unum’s FMLA services can help employers navigate complex leave laws.

Through research and education, Unum offers employers guidance on how they can support workers through cancer diagnosis and treatment and help those employees return successfully to the workplace. Tools in this effort include the booklet ‘Moving Beyond: Cancer Survivors at Work.’

As treatments for cancer have become more effective, return-to-work rates for people who are diagnosed with the three most prevalent cancers have improved substantially.

• In 2001, 47 percent of Unum’s customers who were diagnosed with breast cancer returned to work. In 2008, the number was more than 53 percent.

• In 2001, 28 percent of those diagnosed with prostate cancer returned to work. In 2008, the number was 34 percent.

• In 2001, 23 percent of those diagnosed with colon cancer returned to work. In 2008, the number was 33 percent.

And many people diagnosed with the most common cancers return to work prior to needing long-term disability coverage; their surgery and treatment allows 50 percent to 70 percent of claimants to return to work in five to seven months. (workersxzcompxzkit)

“Most cancer patients are very motivated to get back to work,” Garofalo said. “It helps to create a sense of normalcy and control in the midst of an uncontrollable event.”