Management

Top 10 Agency Initiatives: Social Security Administration

Read more about the top Social Security Administration initiative, as selected by Federal News Radio, as well as other initiatives the SSA singled out for recog...

Federal News Network Staff

September 13, 2012 3:57 pm

2 min read

As part of the special Federal News Radio series, “The Obama Impact: Evaluating the Last Four Years,” we asked more than two dozen federal agencies — including all of the Cabinet-level agencies — for a list of the three most effective, nonpolitical management initiatives or policies they’ve embarked on over the past four years.

From the responses collected from nine agencies, Federal News Radio narrowed the list down of the top 10 agency initiatives — in the agencies’ own words. Below, read more about the top Social Security Administration initiative, as selected by Federal News Radio, as well as other initiatives singled out for recognition.

Top Initiative

Reducing Improper Payments

The Social Security Administration is taking strides to reduce improper payments through methods such as Access to Financial Institutions (AFI). AFI is an electronic process that verifies financial accounts of SSI applicants and recipients that exceed program limits. Additionally, it generates an automated search of financial accounts the SSI applicants and recipients did not disclose. It eliminates paper transmissions to participating financial institutions. We are using technology to help prevent and detect improper payments. This new process allowed us to significantly improve our service and stewardship efforts.

Other Initiatives

Fast-tracking Disability Applications

Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the statutory standard for disability. The Compassionate Allowances program fast-tracks disability decisions to ensure that Americans with the most serious disabilities receive their benefit decisions within days instead of months or years. Under QDD, a predictive model analyzes specific elements of data within the electronic claims file to identify claims where there is a high potential that the claimant is disabled and where evidence of the person’s allegations can be quickly and easily obtained. The quick disability determination has been very successful and efficient and it helps for people filing for disability benefits anywhere in the United States.

Overhaul and Expansion of Electronic Services

In 2009, Social Security unveiled a new, fully-electronic online retirement application, which Baby Boomers (who are becoming eligible for retirement benefits at a rate of 10,000 people per day) can use at home or at work instead of making a trip to a local Social Security field office. Since then, the agency has offered an online Medicare application, the online Retirement Estimator, and online access to the Social Security Statement. The online Retirement and Medicare applications, and the Retirement Estimator are available in both English and Spanish.