The instructions say they will respond within ninty days .
How backlogged are they?
Thank You
Jeff
Hello Jeff,
There are federally-funded Benefits Planning, Assistance, and Outreach
(BPAO) Projects in every state specializing in assisting individuals to
integrate their benefits programs (SSDI, SSI, Medicare, Medicaid, Food
Stamps, Housing & Utility Programs, ADC, VA, etc.) with current or future
employment. This service is FREE and independent of SSA.
I work for such a project covering central and southern Ohio.
You can find your local BPAO agency here:
http://ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/BPAODirectory.html
Concerning your questions on Continuing Disability Review (CDR):
Since 1993, on an annual basis, SSA on-line data for current
beneficiaries (SSDI) and recipients (SSI) is run through a computerized
statistical analysis and assigned a score (this process is known as
"profiling"). Once the profiling process is complete beneficiaries and
recipients with a "diary" (review) date during the current fiscal year
are essentially divided into two groups: those with a high profile score
will be scheduled for a full medical CDR while beneficiaries/recipients
with lower scores (lower probability of recovery) are sent a CDR Mailer
(AKA "Disability Update Report").
A MAJORITY of individuals receive the CDR mailer since processing full
medical CDRs for all beneficiaries/recipients is extremely time-consuming
and prohibitively expensive.
In the VAST majority of cases, depending upon the answers provided, the
SSA can avoid doing the much longer full medical review. Such cases are
"deferred" and assigned a new review date (3-5-7 years out).
If you have mailed in the Disability Update Report you've taken care of
your responsibility. Processing time (depending on current workload and
backup at local offices) can be quite lengthy as there are literally
millions upon millions of these reports filed annually.
Remember that SSA has a much bigger burden of proof to deny benefits now
than when you were in the initial application process. In no case would
you be summarily terminated and you have full appeal rights.
If need be, your local Protection & Advocacy agency may be of assistance.
They can be found here (this is also a FREE federally-funded *independent
and confidential* service):
http://www.passonline.org/resources
or
http://www.ssa.gov/work/ServiceProviders/PADirectory.html
I hope this information has been of help to you. Please feel free to
contact me with any questions you may have.
John Hartman
COVA/BPAO Project
Southern Ohio
http://www.cova.org
Most States, if not all, are backlogged. Your delay is atypical, but
not unheard of.
About 2.5% of CDR Mailers result in CDRs; the rest result in
deferrals.
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0413004005
Jack
Or lay low.
>Should I contact Social Security via 800 number.
>
>Or lay low.
Regulation 404.1588 answers that question:
__________________________
§404.1588 Your responsibility to tell us of events that may change
your disability status.
If you are entitled to cash benefits or to a period of disability
because you are disabled, you should promptly tell us if—
(a) Your condition improves;
(b) You return to work;
(c) You increase the amount of your work; or
(d) Your earnings increase.
http://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/cfr20/404/404-1588.htm
____________
Jack
I call the 800 number and was told no mail has been sent to me and that I
would not be notified if deferral action is made to defer doing a full CDR.
??????
Hello Jeff,
Brojack may be in a better position to speak administratively as to why you
haven't been (and may not be)specifically notified.
All I can say is that in my experience it is not at all unusual for a case
to be deferred with no notice to the beneficiary/recipient. If it has been
five months without any response from SSA this is a very likely scenario.
My understanding is that less than three percent (3%) of individuals going
through the process end up having a full medical review. This makes sense
since processing full medical CDRs for a significant number of
beneficiaries/recipients would be extremely time-consuming and
prohibitively expensive.
If indeed your case has been deferred you would not normally have your
claim re-evaluated for at least three years (possibly longer).
>I mean to see what my status of the 455 form was, since it has been five
Instructions for deferral and an example of a deferral notice are
shown below. If you haven't been notified, they are failing to comply
with policy. If the policy is no longer appropriate, it should be
removed from the instructions.
Jack
______________
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0413004005
DI 13004.005 An Overview of Processing Continuing Disability Review
(CDR) Mailer Forms SSA-455 and SSA-455-OCR-SM
(snip)
9. PC Input and Related Actions To Reflect Deferral or DO CDR Action
After the review is completed, the DE/DEC/DC updates the DCF to
reflect the result of the review.
a. Deferral Action
If a full medical CDR is deferred, the DE/DEC/DS makes the appropriate
input to the DCF (see DI 40502.001J.3.), which generates an automated
notice (see NL 00705.355) that is mailed to the beneficiary (or
representative payee), and sets a new medical reexamination diary
date.
(snip)
______________
http://policy.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0413004030
DI 13004.030 Deferral Notice Exhibit
Social Security Administration
Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
Important Information
Office of Disability and
International Operations
1500 Woodlawn Drive
Baltimore, MD 21241-1500
Date:
Claim Number:
We sent you a letter telling you that we were going to review your
disability case. However, we do not need to review your case at this
time. Therefore, we will not contact your doctor now. We will keep any
information that you may have given us.
We will contact you later if we need to review your case.
Things To Remember
It is important that you report changes right away. Be sure to tell us
about any of the following changes.
You return to work.
Your job, pay or work expenses change, if you are working now.
Your doctor says your health is better.
If You Have Any Questions
If you have any questions, you may call us toll-free at
1-800-772-1213, or call your local Social Security office at [FO phone
number]. We can answer most questions over the phone. You can also
write or visit any Social Security office. The office that serves your
area is located at:
[Field Office Address
City, - ST, ZIP]
If you do call or visit an office, please have this letter with you.
It will help us answer your questions. Also, if you plan to visit an
office, you may call ahead to make an appointment. This will help us
serve you more quickly.
Joseph R. Muffolett
Director
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It says exactly "We sent you a letter telling youthat we were going to
review your disability case. However, we do not need to review your case at
this time. Therefore we will not contact you doctor now. We will contact you
later if we need to review your case."
Thats all it says, no we will review you again in 3, 5, 7 years, nothing.
I took them almost six months to recieve this from Social Security in
responce to the form 455 continuing medical review.
"BroJack" <wind...@home.net> wrote in message
news:41a5daa1...@news-60.giganews.com...
Others in this group heard nothing.
Jack
_______________
On Sat, 11 Dec 2004 15:04:44 -0800, "Jeff F" <jeff...@aaahawk.com>