Social Security Disability Delays Strain Vulnerable Americans Amid Backlog Crisis
DC Journal
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Contributed by: Kate Gamble
Summary
The backlog in Social Security disability eligibility determinations poses a significant challenge for vulnerable Americans, often leading to financial hardships and unpaid medical expenses. The Social Security Administration (SSA) had over 1.1 million pending claims as of 2022, with many applicants potentially dying before their claims are processed. Effective solutions involve enhancing interoperability between electronic health records (EHRs) and the SSA, as many EHR systems currently encounter difficulties in directly transmitting medical documentation, delaying the evaluation process. While systems like Epic have demonstrated the potential to expedite these exchanges, allowing for faster processing times, less than 15 percent of necessary medical records are transmitted electronically, indicating a reliance on slower and more costly methods like mail or fax that could be addressed through initiatives like the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA).
