Maryland citizens who apply for Social Security disability benefits can expect faster and better customer service now that the Disability Determination Services (DDS) has completed a conversion to an electronic case processing system. The system replaces traditional paper folders and medical records.
"People who apply for Social Security disability benefits need prompt and accurate decisions at a very crucial time in their lives," says Kathi Thompson, DDS's director. “We have spent the last three years implementing an electronic case system and training our staff so that we can deliver the right decision about eligibility for benefits as soon as possible."
DORS Maryland Disability Determination Service staff adjudicate disability claims filed by Maryland applicants for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), which provides cash benefits to insured workers who meet the definition of disability and to their dependents, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), which provides monthly cash benefits to children and adults who meet the definition of disability as well as certain income and resource guidelines. At a time when security is important to all, electronic case processing allows the DDS to track case records and provide strict controls on accessibility of confidential records. Electronic case processing also allows doctors and hospitals to send records to the DDS using secure processes with turnaround times much faster than traditional paper records.
Throughout the changeover, the Social Security Administration worked closely with the DDS to assess and validate this new way of conducting business. Last year, the Maryland DDS adjudicated 59,722 claims for Maryland citizens who filed for Social Security disability benefits. The DDS employs over 200 claims examiners, staff physicians and psychologists and support staff at its Timonium location.