Why have we not heard anything recently about the effects of the EDIB electronic disability file upon Social Security's productivity? EDIB was supposed to create large productivity gains for the Social Security Administration. We heard early on that EDIB was hurting productivity, but there was a reasonable argument that the productivity losses were nothing more than normal startup problems.
EDIB is past the initial startup. If there are productivity gains from EDIB, they should be showing up. One would think that if there had been productivity gains that the Social Security Administration would have been quick to get the word out. One would also think that we would have heard a good deal about the effects of EDIB on Social Security productivity from Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about productivity under EDIB, but we have heard nothing.
Why the silence?
EDIB is past the initial startup. If there are productivity gains from EDIB, they should be showing up. One would think that if there had been productivity gains that the Social Security Administration would have been quick to get the word out. One would also think that we would have heard a good deal about the effects of EDIB on Social Security productivity from Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about productivity under EDIB, but we have heard nothing.
Why the silence?
3 comments:
Yes, the system has been in place for months now but still has many problems. Two examples:
ERE, Electronic Records Express, is the web portal we are now supposed to use to submit new evidence. The system has been down most of this week. We have been unable to submit new evidence for upcoming hearings. If it is not working this morning (haven't checked yet), we will have to deliver piles of paper to our ODARs and tell them to figure it out.
There have been days on which ALJs have been unable to access the e-file during hearings. There appears to be a particularly weak link in the chain. When we do submit new medical through ERE, we have been told that an ODAR employees must label it for the e-file and attach it in the right part of the five-part e-folder. Perhaps due to staffing shortages, this may not be done, or done only at the last minute. We have a local ALJ is very conscientious about studying the whole file well in advance. We submitted a lot of new medical 24 days before the hearing. He studied the file three days before the hearing but the new evidence had not been attached. He saw it for the first time as the hearing began. Drives him nuts.
The system has a long way to go.
It does appear that initial determinations are coming back quicker from DDS since the agency went electronic-unfortunately the time saved has not translated to the hearings process.
The savings were supposed to be realized at dds and hearing office -- based on all products delivered that were requested.
They're not finished. Lots more to deliver. So how can they claim victory (or failure) til they are finished
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