House panel pushes for answers on Social Security backlog
SSA is hiring more employees to tackle disability claims and conducting video hearings to expedite process, commissioner says.
The Social Security Administration has made headway in reducing backlogs in disability claims but still has work to do, witnesses told a House panel on Thursday.
The number of claims filed is increasing faster than the agency can hire and train new employees to handle the workload, said Michael Astrue, SSA commissioner, during a Way and Means subcommittee hearing. SSA expects to receive 1.2 million more claims in fiscal 2010 than in 2008, he said, a product of the recession and the public's subsequent reliance on Social Security benefits.
The practice of furloughing state Disability Determination Service employees who process claims contributes to the backlog, witnesses said. These positions are federally funded, yet 10 states have failed to exempt DDS from these furlough policies. Lawmakers expressed particular concern over California, where personnel are furloughed three days per month. As a result, 15 percent of the workload is not addressed in any given month, said Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., which harms quality and timeliness and is "nonsensical and unconscionable."
The number of cases awaiting a hearing before an administrative law judge is another cause for concern, according to witnesses. While the agency is set to hire 226 new ALJs in 2010, shifting demographics have resulted in a misallocation of judges across the country, said Astrue, producing an uneven distribution in caseload and various processing times.
Lawmakers also questioned SSA's slow progress in updating its technology standards. The agency's National Computer Center has seen an increased workload due to baby boomer retirement and will reach capacity in 2012. Upgrading is a "daunting task," Astrue said, particularly because the agency can't afford to disrupt service during the process, which could take up to seven years.
SSA is making progress toward the use of electronic medical records, which reduce both error and processing time, Astrue said. The agency in 2010 will allocate $24 million in Recovery Act funds to expand health IT.
Subcommittee members praised the agency for its steps to address the backlog. In fiscal 2009, SSA reduced the average claim processing time by five days and hired 8,600 new employees. The agency expects to bring on 2,800 more DDS employees by the end of 2010 to process claims, Astrue said, and has begun fast-tracking cases and conducting video hearings to increase efficiency.
SSA should balance faster service and high quality, witnesses cautioned, since beneficiaries deserve due process for submitted claims. "[SSA's] return on investment depends on modernizing technology and infrastructure and addressing waste, fraud and abuse," said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas.