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Use Electronic Records Express To Send Health Records

SSA Publication No. 05-10046, July 2006, ICN 460276 [View .pdf] Get Accessible Adobe Acrobat Reader
 

Electronic Records Express is an initiative by Social Security and state Disability Determination Services (DDS) to increase use of electronic options for submitting health records related to disability claims. If a state DDS or Social Security needs additional information about a patient who has filed a claim for Social Security disability, you will receive a letter asking for medical evidence and other relevant health records. The requested information helps the DDS and Social Security determine if your patient qualifies for disability. You can choose the method of sending the information that works best for you.
 

 
 

Contents

Advantages of sending health records online or by fax

Sending records electronically is fast and easy

Other options
Frequently asked questions
For more information

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Advantages of sending health records online or by fax

    • Send patient records at your convenience;
    • Submit information directly to your state DDS or Social Security, helping to expedite the decision on your patient’s disability claim;
    • Save copying and postage costs;
    • Eliminate need for follow-up due to mail transit time; and
    • Start reimbursement process sooner.

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Sending records electronically is fast and easy

Secure website — individual patient records

Send electronic health records or scanned paper records through the Social Security secure website using your existing Internet connection.

Secure website — multiple patient records

You can send batches of patient files via the Social Security secure website in a single operation.

Fax

Use your office fax to send requested health records to your state DDS or to Social Security any time day or night. The digitized faxes go directly into the claims processing system.

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Other options

Secure file transfer — bulk

For high-volume operations, you can purchase commercial software to transfer records in an automated machine-to-machine mode, with workflow management, monitoring and reporting features.

Continued support for paper submissions

If you only can provide paper records, mail them to the Social Security contract scanning service whose mailing address is in the request letter. The contractor will scan the records and send electronic files to the state DDS or Social Security.

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Q. How will sending records electronically affect our work routines?
A. There will be minimum disruption to established routines. Faxing replaces the photocopying you now do. And if you already have electronic health records, you upload files instead of printing them.
Q. What are the costs?

A. The Electronic Records Express options are free of government charges. The high-volume bulk upload alternative requires commercial software and is not free of charge.
Q. What security is provided for web options?
A. The website uses 128-bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to protect records submissions to Social Security. Your account is protected by your confidential username and password combination.
Q. Can I fax with my PC fax software?
A. Yes. However, the first page of all faxes must be the bar-coded DDS request letter. You may need a scanner to scan the DDS letter into your computer.
Q. Can I submit records on CD?
A. No. There is no standardized process for handling CDs. The web options should save you time and money over CDs.
Q. Q: How do I choose an Electronic Records Express option?
A. For planning assistance, discuss your business procedures with the Professional Relations Office of your state’s DDS.
Q. If I want to use the secure website, which file formats are compatible?
A. A wide selection of file formats are supported. Social Security will add support for additional formats as needed.
Q. Are Electronic Records Express options compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)?
A. Yes. When a person files a disability claim, he or she (or a parent or guardian) signs an Authorization to Disclose Information (Form SSA-827). This meets the requirements of HIPAA and expressly permits a health care provider to share patient health information by fax or other electronic means as long as reasonable safeguards are used.

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“With minimal effort, my reports
arrive at their destination within
minutes of their creation.”

Dr. Jim Adams, Fellow American Academy
of Disability Examiners Cleveland, Mississippi

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For more information

If you would like to learn more about submitting health records online or by fax, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and go to Electronic Records Express , send an email to electronic-records-express@ssa.gov or call 1-866-691-3061. You also can contact the Professional Relations Office of your state’s DDS.
 

 
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