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Speeding up SS Disability Decisions - Social Security Administration
It’s certainly no secret that applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits is often an effort which takes a long time for results. Unless the disability is included on SSA’s “Compassionate Allowance List” (CAL), it isn’t unusual for an SSDI application to take months for a determination by the Social Security Administration. And often, much of that time is consumed by the SSA needing to obtain confirmation of the applicant’s disability from medical service providers.
It’s also no secret that the SSA has been transitioning to be a more digital (electronic) agency, relying on today’s faster technology to streamline its operations. And, in that vein, SSA has recently announced a partnership with the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement™ (TEFCA™) network. This should mean the SSA will be able to access additional national interoperability networks, to help them acquire electronic health information faster and more securely. All of which should mean faster evaluation of applications and resulting decisions for SSDI applicants. According to this SSA report, these streamlined operations should start improving disability determination wait times soon.