Some people may think of the disability examiner as an adversary in a Social Security disability case, but really disability examiners, for the most part, believe disability benefits should go to people who need them as long as they meet the strict guidelines set forth by Social Security’s disability rules. Many times disability examiners are overwhelmed with caseloads trying to make disability determinations, but they are an important part of the disability process. Recently NADE, the National Association of Disability Examiners, released its recent newsletter naming the organization’s top issues for 2019 related to disability claims. The complete newsletter can found here.
NADE’s Top Issues for 2019
- Staffing: Funding is needed to achieve and maintain adequate funding levels
- CDRs: Continued investment in timely Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs)
- DCPS: NADE supports continued development of the Disability Case Processing System (DCPS)
- IT Modernization: Investment in technology to make reviewing of evidence easier, such as the ability to identify duplicate records
- Training: Investment in training is critical for quality determinations
- CDI: Continue support for Cooperative Disability Investigation (CDI) units and expansion efforts to decrease fraud and abuse
- Telecommuting: Expand upon telecommuting pilots, which can be a workload incentive
- Reconsideration Reviews: NADE supports the return of the reconsideration review level to all DDS’s. This ensures that all applicants receive an equal opportunity for review and that DDSs will finally have a unified process. The DDS reconsideration decisions are cheaper and timelier than ALJ decisions.
- Reduction in 15 Year Work History: Due to vast changes in the occupational landscape, it is unfair current regulations allow claims to be denied on the basis claimants have an ability to perform a job they performed previously but which no longer exists, or a job they would no longer recognize.
- Evaluation of Vocational Regulations and Processes: NADE suggests a review of the vocational regulations and business process to ensure that processes are consistent between the DDS and ALJs. Vocational business processes need to be streamlined and consider the impact of transferable skills.
- Medical Improvement Review Standard (MIRS): We support a careful re-examination of the Medical Improvement Review Standard (MIRS) and its impact on the disability program.
- Timely Revision of the Listings: NADE supports SSA’s ongoing efforts to make timely revisions to the Listings of Impairments to reflect technological advancements and current medical research.
- Utilization of Disability Benefits: NADE encourages a review of how benefits are utilized once awarded. Steps may be necessary to ensure there is adequate efforts to follow prescribed treatment, of particular concern are childhood disability cases and cash benefits.
- Customer Service Improvements: NADE encourages efforts to build upon customer service improvement efforts. There has been an obvious impact from hiring freezes and inability to keep up with attrition. Having adequate funding for hiring, training and overtime will help with processing time and improve decisional curacy. Supporting DDSs to have competitive salaries will help retain experienced personnel.
