Comment from Newman, Leigh Ann, Public Consulting Group

2. SSA has indeed made great strides in recent years in their electronic and automated service delivery. In particular, the agency’s move to using its electronic disability collect system (EDCS) to record information about a claimant’s disability then transferring that data to an electronic folder has allowed additional automations which have been revolutionary to the process. The increasing use of electronic medical records, electronic signatures on medical releases and access to the appeal folder when a claim reaches the administrative hearing level of adjudication are all invaluable tools that assist in the disability application process. Building upon these enhancements, we would like to see more automation in the initial and reconsideration stages of adjudication. Currently, once a case reaches the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) the representative on a claim has access to the full claims file for review. It would be very beneficial if the electronic case file was available for viewing by representatives from the very beginning of the adjudication process. This would allow for a more expeditious flow of information between SSA, DDS, the claimant and the representative opening up communication for things including: Consultative Exam scheduling, assignment of a case to a DDS examiner, and subsequent information requests including those for medical, school and employment records. Direct access to the electronic claims folder, in read only mode would eliminate the need for repeat contacts with a claim’s representative for status updates regarding processing and decisions. Also, as the agency works on its identity verification procedures, allowing the representative to sign and submit the electronic forms (SSA-16 and SSA-827) on behalf of the claimant should also be a top priority of SSA. In conjunction with this, working to make the SSI application (SSA-8000/8001) available electronically would also expedite the application process.