Summary
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has announced it will now handle all medical reviews for disability benefits directly, instead of working with state agencies. This change aims to improve decision-making, accountability, and reduce wait times for people applying for or receiving disability benefits.
Key Facts
- The SSA is taking over medical Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) from state agencies.
- CDRs are periodic checks to see if people still qualify for disability benefits.
- The change is meant to make decisions more consistent and accountable.
- The SSA says this will help reduce the backlog of initial disability claims.
- As of February 2024, the backlog of initial claims dropped from 1.26 million in June 2024 to 831,000.
- State offices can now focus more on processing new claims and reconsidering old ones.
- Centralizing reviews aims to balance workloads and improve service efficiency.
- The SSA hopes this will reduce wait times for people applying for disability benefits.
