There have been reports that Social Security is working on a computer system to track Social Security hearings scheduled for individual attorneys to avoid conflicts. I have never heard that Social Security considered such a system to be operational.
I now have a Social Security hearing scheduled in one city on a specific date and at a specific time. Another Social Security hearing office has scheduled a hearing for another client in a different city on the same date and at the same time without calling me as Social Security's own HALLEX manual requires. When I asked for a continuance, I was told that no continuance would be granted since their system did not show any such conflict for me.
What is going on?
I now have a Social Security hearing scheduled in one city on a specific date and at a specific time. Another Social Security hearing office has scheduled a hearing for another client in a different city on the same date and at the same time without calling me as Social Security's own HALLEX manual requires. When I asked for a continuance, I was told that no continuance would be granted since their system did not show any such conflict for me.
What is going on?
The system--currently called e-Scheduling--is in the very early stages of development.
ReplyDeleteI worked on such a system back in 1987 when in Systems. Couldn't get unchanging requirements so every time we brought something forward they'd go "what about..." and throw something new at us. It finally died after being tested locally in one or two places.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand the system in our office (so call it third hand at best), we are able to see if an attorney is already scheduled at another hearing office in our state only. The system has some drawbacks. It requires the tech to make a separate input into the system and it does not update in realtime, only overnight
ReplyDeleteAs an ME, I am told by schedulers that they are able to see if I am 'booked' at a particular time/date. They can also tell the location, though not the name of the ALJ nor the claimant.
ReplyDeleteSlightly off the specific topic, but related: In my view, SSA systems enhancements are often sort of 'modular' add-ons that frequently do not 'talk' to other modules well (or sometimes at all). SSA employees daily 'battle' poorly integrated systems that require the operator to remember far too many steps - and often 'work-arounds' for system problems. If anything is forgotten, or left out things don't go the way they are supposed to go. . . . And is VERY easy for steps to be left out or forgotten as Field Office staffs are constantly interrupted, and overloaded -- very little 'quiet' time to work in a orderly manner. . . .
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