**GAO-09-149**                      Published: Dec 17, 2008. Publicly Released: Dec 17, 2008.                  

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## Highlights

The timely collection of relevant medical evidence from providers, such as physicians and psychologists, is key to the Social Security Administration (SSA) process for deciding whether an estimated 2.5 million new claimants each year have impairments that qualify them to receive disability benefits. The initial determinations are generally made by state agencies called Disability Determination Services (DDSs). We evaluated: (1) the challenges, if any, in collecting medical records from the claimants' own providers and ways SSA and the DDSs are responding to these challenges; (2) the challenges, if any, in obtaining high-quality consultative exams and ways SSA and the DDSs are responding to these challenges; and (3) the progress SSA has made in moving from paper to electronic collection of medical evidence. We surveyed 51 DDS directors, visited 5 state DDSs, reviewed sample case files, and interviewed officials with SSA, DDSs, and associations for claimants and providers.

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## Topics

Information Management

Aid for the disabledClaims processingClaims settlementData collectionDisabilitiesDisability benefitsDisability insuranceElectronic health recordsElectronic recordsElectronic records managementEligibility criteriaEligibility determinationsMedical examinationsMedical proceduresMedical recordsPaperwork reductionPeople with disabilitiesSocial security benefits