Welcome to the Employment Development Department

Future Disability Insurance Automation

Disability Insurance Automation (DIA)

Topics covered in this FAQ include:

What is DIA?

The Disability Insurance Automation (DIA) solution is the implementation of a secure electronic communications and information processing environment that promotes efficiency and reduces costs while following Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations and guidelines. HIPAA provides the Employment Development Department (EDD) an opportunity to realize the advantages of electronic communications with claimants, medical providers, and employers. The project seeks to significantly improve on its delivery of Disability Insurance services by focusing on the three primary business goals, allowing EDD to:

  • Improve access to Disability Insurance services
  • Improve EDD's service delivery
  • Detect and prevent fraud and abuse

Why are we adding this new system?

Many of the Disability Insurance Branch’s processes have remained unchanged since 1946. Current processes revolve around paper-based data collection, requiring manual and often duplicative data entry. The drawbacks include:

  • Time consuming/costly for clients and medical providers
  • Manual claim entry
  • Resources spent on incomplete forms
  • Delays and shipping costs during staffing shortages
  • Security and privacy concerns

Claimants, medical providers, and employers must spend time filling out paper forms and then sometimes resubmit the same data because the original form was not correctly completed or lost in the mail. This is burdensome and costly to customers, and makes it difficult to ensure security and privacy of claimants‚ personal data.

What is in it for me?

The new user-friendly system will offer a variety of benefits for claimants, employers, medical providers, and voluntary plans.

For Claimants:
  • Online help in addition to telephone and in-person assistance
  • Online access to claim status and payment history
  • Improved confirmation of form submissions
  • Secure transmission of personal information
  • Reduced overall processing time
  • Customer service centers can access forms on-screen to better serve customers
For Employers, Medical Providers, and Voluntary Plans:
  • Online filing options, including user prompts and online help
  • Secure transmission of personal information
  • Reduced paperwork and overhead
  • Confirmation receipts
  • Reduced overall processing time

Reduced manual tasks will enable Disability Insurance staff to devote more personal attention to customers’ needs. Internet claim filing options will be available for customers who choose to file electronically. Online help prompts will help answer customers’ questions and enable those customers who choose online filing to enter accurate and complete information. A new scanning/data capture paper system will be available, and customers can continue to call for live assistance.

When will DIA first be useable?

2011

Why does it take so long?

Numerous factors affect the timing of the project’s release:

Department of Finance and Department of General Services oversight:
  • Need to be prudent with taxpayers’ money
  • Numerous checks and balances
State policies and procedures:
  • Funding is approved on an annual basis
  • Need to meet state timelines and mandates
  • Modifying the existing system is complex.
  • The Single Client Database has over one billion records that need to be shared with other branches in the Employment Development Department (EDD)

How can I stay up to date on the project?

The latest news and information can be found on our Web site.

Will electronically-transmitted information be kept confidential?

The DIA system will implement Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant electronic communications through direct electronic interface and Web-based intelligent forms.

HIPAA was passed by Congress in 1996. It is the single most significant legislation affecting the health care industry since the creation of the Medicare and Medicaid programs in 1965.

HIPAA:
  • Ensures the transferability and continuity of health insurance coverage for millions of American workers and their families when they change or lose their jobs.
  • Reduces health care fraud and abuse.
  • Mandates industry-wide standards for health care information.
  • Guarantees the security and privacy of protected health information.