Los Angeles Social Security Attorneys:
Social Security Disability Now Accepting Electronic Medical Records

2017 marks the 60th anniversary of the Social Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI).  Obviously the world has changed a lot since 1956!

And while the wheels of government can be slow to move, some beneficial changes have were made recently under the Obama administration, in the Social Security Administration’s method of collecting the medical records they use for making their disability determinations.

According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), every year they make approximately 15 million requests for medical records from health care providers – in order to make decisions on roughly three million disability claims. That is a lot of medical records! Yet up until recently, all medical records had to be submitted “manually”.

Social Security Launches New “Health IT” Records System

Now, participating and approved healthcare organizations can send medical records electronically to the Social Security Administration through their new “Health IT” system (health information technology). This is good news for Social Security Disability applicants and Social Security attorneys, alike!

When a person applies for Social Security Disability benefits, it typically takes months for the applicant’s health care organizations to provide records necessary for the claimant’s case. Records have to be located, them copied or printed, and then mailed to Social Security. The SSA then has to manually open the letters, sort and file the documents and then deliver them to the appropriate person for review.

But with electronic records transmission, this entire process of Social Security obtaining medical records can take only a matter of minutes.

Electronic Medical Records Means Faster Social Security Determinations

And because the Social Security Administration is able to obtain and review medical records in minutes rather than months, they can make a determination much quicker than before. This means disabled applicants may be able to get the help they need much faster.

However this Health IT program is quite new – so only a small percentage of providers have applied and been approved to be Health IT participants. Right now the Social Security Administration can only receive electronic medical records from about 50 large providers (with 7,000 healthcare facilities) across the country. But they are adding new providers and facilities on an ongoing basis.

Currently, our experienced Los Angeles Area Social Security Attorneys report that Kaiser Permanente, Cedars Sinai, The Department of Veterans Affairs and Centra are among the few California healthcare providers authorized to participate in the electronic submission of medical records to the SSA – so far.

Our Los Angeles Area Social Security Attorneys Can Help

If you have questions about how the new Social Security Health IT program may apply to your situation, call our experienced Los Angeles Area Social Security Attorneys. We will offer you a FREE CONSULTATION to make sure that you are doing everything possible to speed up your Social Security Disability claim – and make sure that you have the very best chance of being approved for Social Security Disability benefits.

Los Angeles Area Social Security Attorneys: 800-964-8047

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