Help Your Clients By Sending Records Electronically to Social Security

SSA Publication No. 05-10050, March 2007, ICN 460280 [View .pdf]

Technology is helping Social Security transform the disability decision-making process, which will mean better service for applicants across the country. You can help ensure more accurate and timely decisions for your clients by submitting your records electronically to Social Security and its partner agencies.

This year, Social Security expects more than 2.5 million Americans to file for disability benefits. One significant change Social Security and its partner agencies, the Disability Determination Services (DDS) in each state, are making is to move to electronic handling of disability claims.

Social Security believes this will improve the accuracy, consistency and timeliness of decision-making throughout the process.

To help provide more timely service to your clients seeking disability benefits and ultimately, Medicaid or Medicare benefits, Social Security asks that representatives also adopt electronic processes to submit records for your clients.

If you are not already doing so, Social Security urges representatives to submit all records electronically. Here’s how:

• Use your Internet connection and Social Security’s secure website to send individual records quickly and easily; or
• Use your office fax to send records day or night.

Electronic processes can make it quicker and easier for medical and other claimant records to be transferred securely, eliminating mail time and automating handling so that disability applicants can receive a decision sooner. Also, electronic options can benefit you by helping to reduce costs of photocopying, paper, toner, postage and staff time required for paper submissions.

Electronic submission of records has been proven successful in the medical community since it was launched in 2003 as a more efficient and less burdensome process for responding to the 15 million requests for medical records each year. It is also important to note that Social Security’s form to authorize disclosure of information is fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

If you would like to register to use Social Security’s secure website to send client records or would like more information about the options available for submitting records electronically, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and go to , send an E-mail to electronic-records-express@ssa.gov or call 1-866-691-3061.