VA Disability Benefits for Prostate Cancer

All right, so today I'm going to be talking about prostate cancer and prostate cancer residuals. Specifically, I'm going to be discussing, are you receiving fair compensation for your service-connected prostate cancer? So first off, right off the bat, active prostate cancer should be awarded a 100% evaluation. Now, the cancer goes into remission. Basically, the VA will evaluate the residual symptoms of the prostate cancer. The residual symptoms are basically one of two things. They're either urinary frequency, avoiding dysfunction, and voiding dysfunction. Urinary frequency ratings can range anywhere from 10% to 40% and voiding dysfunction can range from 20% to 60%. The veteran is entitled to be evaluated under whichever criteria gives them a higher evaluation of the two, between the urinary frequency or the voiding dysfunction rating. In addition to being rated for urinary frequency or voiding dysfunction, veterans are also entitled to special monthly compensation who've had service-connected prostate cancer. And what I mean by this is a veteran is entitled to SMCK. SMCK is now special monthly compensation for loss of a creative bodily organ. Basically, if the veteran suffers from erectile dysfunction and he has service-connected prostate cancer, he should be getting special monthly compensation for loss of a creative bodily organ. Other things to consider as well, it doesn't just go to these residuals, basically of urinary frequency or voiding dysfunction or erectile dysfunction. A lot of veterans who have prostate cancer develop subsequent mental health issues. It could be depression. It could be anxiety disorder. These kinds of things. And basically, these veterans are eligible and should make a claim for mental health conditions secondary to their prostate cancer, either due to the radiation treatments, the prostatectomy, or just the actual diagnosis itself can cause a veteran a lot of anxiety. So, it's not uncommon for a veteran to develop a mental health condition, and they should seriously consider filing for one if they've had a prostate cancer diagnosis and are service-connected with prostate cancer. Now, the last thing I wanted to discuss as well is individual unemployability. Prostate cancer residuals can make it hard to find or maintain substantially gainful employment. A veteran has to be, you know, near a bathroom at all times. They can't travel long distances due to this condition and the residual symptoms. It makes finding a job and maintaining a job very difficult. And on top of that, like I said, some veterans develop mental health conditions subsequent to their prostate cancer diagnoses. And so, between limited work environments and having bathrooms accessible nearby, and also having a mental health condition, may prevent this veteran from working entirely, in which case he should be entitled to and he should apply for individual unemployability.