John Owens, the associate commissioner for the Office of Disability Determinations, recently provided updates for a number of initiatives at the national training conference for the National Association of Disability Examiners. Disability Determination is responsible for issuing disability decisions at the lower levels of the Social Security disability process. Below are some of the topics Owens briefed NADE members on.
Request for Reconsideration
After a disability claimant is denied on their initial application for disability benefits the first appeal most claimants would file is the Request for Reconsideration, but some jurisdictions were allowed to skip the Reconsideration phase allowing disability claimants to request a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). Owens reported that by 2020 all states will now have a Reconsideration phase of the disability process, as does the majority of the country. The Reconsideration phase will be reinstated in the last few states that skip this level, including Alabama, Michigan, Missouri and Alaska, will all be instituting the Reconsideration level by next year, so that the Social Security disability process is the same in all states.
Replacing the DOT
Owens reported that the replacement for the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) is nearly completed. The DOT is a publication of the United States Department of Labor that defines over 13,000 types of occupations, but many have argued the document is outdated. The new version, the Occupational Information System (OIS), is a collection of occupational-related data from multiple sources, which will be accessed through an online system called the Vocational Information Tool (VIT). Testing of the new system will begin this month, October of 2019.
Listings Update
Social Security, Owens reported, recently released two notices of potential rule making requesting feedback on two of Social Security’s listings, the digestive and skin listings. Social Security requested comments on the proposed rule making up until late last month.
