IF I OWN MY OWN BUSINESS AND HAVE A DISABLING CONDITION THAT PREVENTS ME FROM TECHNICALLY "DOING WORK" WITHIN MY BUSINESS, AM I ELIGIBLE FOR RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS?

What is SSA doing about the disability claims backlog now?

If you’ve been looking for information about Social Security disability claims, undoubtedly you’ve heard about the massive claims backlog at the SSA. In fact, this topic is familiar ground we’ve tread before. But the backlog is in the news yet again, as there are fears that the deepening economic recession and increased number of claims coupled with a dwindling surplus of funds are going to make matters worse before they get better.

One of the biggest challenges for SSA is reducing the amount of time it takes for appealed claims to work through the system. The amount of time it takes for an applicant’s appeal to be reconsidered is about double what it is for an initial claim with no issues. Even worse, if a claimant appeals the decision of an administrative law judge, it can take several years to wait for a decision. That’s right, if you are unlucky enough to have your claim denied, you have to get back in line and wait even longer. It almost seems as though SSA wants to discourage applicants from filing appeals. Who has a year – or five – to wait for much needed disability payments?

One bright spot in all of this is the hopes that SSA is pinning on new information technology programs at the agency. With federal funding and stimulus money, SSA is not only implementing new medical record sharing technology but they are also revamping their entire data center. Here are some highlights of their technology efforts:

A new computer data center will be completed by fiscal year 2012 in Durham, North Carolina. This new center will allow SSA to convert all their master files from a legacy system to a modern database management system.
A pilot program to accelerate the sharing of medical information needed to make decisions on disability claims was completed last year. The pilot program allowed the SSA to determine how to use information technology health programs to quickly transmit records for disabled claimants treated at the pilot hospital to local DDS offices.
Development of the Nationwide Health Information Network has allowed SSA and hospitals in Richmond, Virginia to begin sharing data online. According to SSA commissioner Astrue, this reduces the amount of time it takes the local SSA offices to receive health information from days, weeks or months to mere seconds.

However, as great as technology is there are still issues. The system has experienced periodic outages due to system instability, forcing local SSA offices to revert back to paper processing. And, until all hospitals and healthcare providers use the IT health network, the long, slow paperwork trail will still be the only option for moving many disability claims forward. The SSA is crawling forward with its modernization plans, but there is still a long, long way to go.

You can read more about the history of the Social Security disability claims backlog in our library and blog posts:

To get help with your Social Security Disability claim, contact Markhoff & Mittman today. We have been helping injured and disabled workers for the last 70 years, and we can help you, too.

Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.

14 Mamaroneck Avenue

Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10601

Toll Free: (866) 205-2415

Phone: (914) 946-1452

Fax: (914) 946-0810