Healthcare Providers Can Help Social Security Improve the Disability Process
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: April 18, 2025
The Social Security Administration (SSA) announced today a renewed emphasis on expanding opportunities for organizations to join the agency’s Health Information Technology (Health IT) program. Health IT allows SSA to use electronic data exchanges to obtain medical records directly from the provider, resulting in faster disability determinations for people applying for benefits.
Faster allowances means putting much needed benefits in the hands of people in critical need. Additionally, expanding Health IT helps save taxpayer money, as each year SSA receives over 3 million new applications for disability benefits and spends over $500 million dollars to collect medical records for applicants. Health care organization partners benefit through cost reduction, streamlined operations, and providing better customer service to their patients.
“I’ve directed the reinvigoration of the Health IT initiative, as it benefits everyone involved – SSA, our customers, health care providers, and American taxpayers,” said Lee Dudek, Acting Commissioner of Social Security. “We are committed to more effectively and efficiently obtaining medical records through this program. I thank those healthcare providers that exchange information with us through Health IT and encourage other providers to partner with us.”
Health IT enhances the quality and efficiency of the Social Security disability determination process, reducing costs and offering a variety of benefits to customers. The program facilitates the exchange of up-to-date information directly from a person’s sources of care, potentially reducing the need for costly SSA consultative examinations. Receiving medical records sooner enables SSA to make determinations more quickly. On average, the agency identifies allowances 50 percent faster when processing applications with Health IT records.
SSA has successfully used Health IT to obtain medical records for decades, but the portion of information obtained through the process has stalled over the years. The renewed campaign includes partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services; expanding marketing and outreach to healthcare organizations, and leveraging automation to improve the onboarding process.
Current SSA partners include a variety of Health Information Exchanges (HIEs), vendor networks, hospitals, and other qualified health care organizations. The agency has 266 partner organizations covering all 50 states, with about 46,000 participating providers. For the full list of Health IT Partners, visit HIT | Partners | SSA.
To learn more about Health IT, including how organizations can partner with SSA, please visit Health Information Technology (HIT) | SSA.
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Tags: Disability, Federal Agencies, supplemental security income
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Robert p.
My name is Robert I applied for SS DI 2019 denied a couple times three times took him to Federal Court want them because the doctor gave orders and the judge said you can work when it gets to the doctor’s orders they’re changing my medical records to benefit them to be able to deny me I got proof this time I got proof they say I have no hearing loss I have gunnery ears I’ve been told that for my doctor when I had them tested I can’t hear and they said I can and they changed the report so they don’t have to pay me so I wonder how many more other people that this office in Hemet California off of Devonshire has mistreated us there are a bunch of crooks that are in there they put you on hold they never answer the phone when you go down there they don’t give you no information they won’t give you what you need they give you only what they want because they’re stealing money from us who gives them the right to change my medical records they change 20 items in my appeal to make them look good that I’m okay is this what they do they come to our America get jobs and then treat us Americans like crap we work for our money we don’t steal money like other people we work for our money so I think the office of him it of a Devonshire needs to be investigated because they took money out of my account for money that was donated to me $100 they took three payments or two payments out it was donated from my service dog so they took $135 out how do you get $100 donation and then $135 out of your check and then it put back in and then take it back out and then put it back in then take it back out there it’s horrible makes me feel like that our government doesn’t have good trust in our money safety but I’m going to take it to the news next
robertpeeken
My name is Robert I applied for social security because I broke my neck in 2014 and they gave me 3 years of disability and then they said you have to go re-qualify after you know you get it so I went down there I did it so it’s been 8 years since I’ve gotten a check for that I’ve been denied three times been to Federal Court want them the judge went against my doctor’s orders so we won in federal court went back and got another court date now this judge is doing the same thing saying I get partially how do you get partially approved when I have 20 different items that diabetes I broke my neck I’m kind of cuckoo and they’re all saying I’m okay they changed my doctor’s reports on the thing they changed their report when they said that I have hearing problems they said I can hear who gives the social security judges the right to change a humans a US citizens medical record without a doctor’s signature I have proof that I went to their doctors which I didn’t they said I went to doctors in this other state had 2020 I wasn’t even in North Carolina I was in South Carolina and I never went to a doctor the human office in California they are trying to steal their crooks they charged me money out of my check because I volunteer and told him I received $100 for 4 months for my service dog to pay for his food somebody donated they took money out of my check for that not for one week but for like 3 weeks so they took like $400 out for $100 donation that was given to me when in there yesterday they wouldn’t give me no information on my account hardly he’s running rushed me out of there they owe me for 8 years we fought I have two lawyers we fought in one they keep denying now I got the report that they’re changing my medical records to show that I’m okay I have 20 items that I’m broke down and they changed every single one of them to make them look good to be able to deny me I’m going to take it to the news next
Prema V.
SS is trying their best and one has to go to its blog and do research. I just read that they are trying to process SSDI with the help from health care insurance. Also compassionate help for certain illnesses. With shortage of staff at SS, they are providing info on its website.