From a report by Social Security's Office of Inspector General:
SSA [Social Security Administration] is developing DCPS [Disability Case Processing System] as a common case processing system for the DDSs [Disability Determination Services]. The Agency expects DCPS to simplify system support and maintenance, improve the speed and quality of the disability process, and reduce the growth rate of infrastructure costs.
SSA is using an incremental approach to develop and deploy DCPS. In December 2016, the Agency released its first working software to three DDSs, enabling them to process certain disability cases in the new system. Since then, the Agency has developed and implemented new releases that have provided additional functionality and has made the system available to users in 31 DDSs.
In September 2019, SSA made DCPS available to 31 participating DDSs, that, on average, used DCPS to process approximately 7 percent of their workload. DDS Administrators reported gaps in functionality prevented them from increasing their use of DCPS. SSA’s goal is for the DDSs to transition from their existing case processing systems 9 to 12 months after the DDS deploys DCPS or between July and October 2020, whichever is later. In March 2019, SSA reported to Congress that product development would be completed in September 2019, as scheduled on the DCPS Road Map. SSA plans to continue developing DCPS beyond November2019, and it is unknown when DCPS will provide the functionality needed for a DDS to completely stop using its existing case processing system.
In September 2019, SSA estimated its DCPS costs through Fiscal Year 2022 would be approximately $178 million. However, the Agency still needs to develop functionality and implement DCPS in the remaining 21 DDSs. We could not conclude that SSA’s cost and schedule estimates for developing and implementing DCPS were reasonable because SSA had not determined when DDSs will have the functionality to process all their workloads in DCPS. Further, until DCPS has the functionality DDSs need to process all their workloads, the DDSs will need to continue using their existing systems, which—according to the Agency—cost approximately $31 million annually to operate and maintain. ...
Question... Why does ssa use the dds contractor model? Why not just employ them and use one system? Is it because of the variability in disability case filings? Or wanting to appear neutral in deciding initial claims? Just wondering.
ReplyDeleteEmployment requires an increase in the budget and they must provide expenses benefits to them as employees.
ReplyDeleteI would not be surprised that perhaps this also has to do with making the doctors or parties that make the medical decision available for cross-examination.
DCPS isn't really less functional than what SSA likes to call our Legacy system. Each has some advantages and disadvantages The problem is trying to handle both at the same time when you have an overloaded case load to begin with. It is like you have two husbands and a couple of affairs going on at the same time.
ReplyDeleteIt is because most state employees earn much less than federal employees. The state DDSs save SSA a ton of money.
ReplyDeleteJust my speculation: federal employees get pay, benefits and job protection which exceed that which most state workers are getting. Contracting out the initial disability determination function saves money and the hassle of trying to terminate a federal employee who does not work out. It also allows pay rates to be set based upon the state where the DDS is located. I believe federal pay rates are national. I speculate that the Alabama DDS workers make less than the New York State or California DDS workers for that reason.
ReplyDeleteOne other reason might be to allow Social Security to claim that they are able to administer the program with fewer employees.
I could be totally wrong and everything I said above is just my guess as to the reason for the DDS contractor model.
Theresa Gruber has been "leading" this program for SSA. No IT experience. She also manages the hearings component. Not a lawyer. Your tax dollars at "work"
ReplyDeleteLove how people make stuff up. Google is your friend. In case you can't abide to read a lot - it's towards the bottom
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/ssb/v66n3/v66n3p1.html
Although the disability freeze appeared to be a modest proposal, it became a contentious issue for reasons not directly related to the proposal itself. Administration of the freeze would require a determination of disability. The American Medical Association (AMA) feared that authorizing physicians employed by the federal government or private physicians designated by SSA to perform physical and mental examinations on applicants would ultimately lead to some form of national health insurance. The AMA maintained that disability should be eliminated through rehabilitative medicine rather than encouraged by paying disability benefits. Thus, the AMA joined the insurance industry and the Chamber of Commerce in bringing pressure on Congress not to adopt the disability freeze provision (Berkowitz 1987, 69).
A compromise was reached when a member of the congressional conference committee suggested that the states be assigned the responsibility for making disability decisions. Since physicians would not have any direct contact with the federal government, the AMA was willing to accept this compromise.
The reason that state DDS's do the job they do.
11:18 with the mic drop.
ReplyDelete7:36 I have been there, it does not end well.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much 1118. Very helpful info.
ReplyDeleteTo clear things up, DDS employees belong to the state because the state is responsible for making decisions regarding disability according to its rules. DDS determines disability for other programs besides just SSA, such as Medicaid and Medicaid waivers, certain state aid programs and some WC boards in each state. Contracting to the state allows one dib decision to be made for all state sponsored programs. I assume that states do not want to forfeit those funds from SSA that can be used to help pay for other programs.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally it would be much more expensive for SSA to absorb that staff. The federal disability processing branches and federal PC components who make dib decisions usually have additional responsibilities as well and that is why they are paid more than the state counterparts.
The real question is "Why hasn't the agency finished DCPS?". Five plus years in the making, six restarts as far as I can tell. What has the Deputy Commissioner of Systems Rajive Mathur doing. Nothing. It should be all hands on deck to finish DCPS and move on to the next initiative. Hopefully, Commissioner Saul takes note and ask the tough question. What has Mathur accomplished during his time at SSA? Nothing.
ReplyDeleteI remember when DDS would bounce back or send a reminder when words were abbreviated like Ave for Avenue.
ReplyDelete