Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

January/February 2001

Honorable Kenneth Apfel
Commissioner Of Social Security
“Challenges Of The New Millennium”
by Diane Kruchten, Wisconsin DDS


SSA COMMISSIONER KENNETH APFEL delivered the key note address at the NADE National Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Commissioner Apfel stated that the best way to move forward to meet “Challenges of the Millennium” is take them one step at a time. Commissioner Apfel sent a message of gratitude to all SSA and DDS employees for their dedication to the Social Security program and all of their hard work. He stated that disability is a growing workload and that SSA is becoming “an increasing disability agency.” The disability issues are much different from retirement.

According to Commissioner Apfel, SSA has to be accepted and viewed as fair and legitimate by the public; fairness, timeliness, and accuracy of our disability decisions are the key challenges facing us. The CDR initiative has been enormously successful. We completed 875,000 CDRs this year. We are current with our Title 2 case reviews and our Title 16 case backlog has decreased to two years. Commissioner Apfel is asking Congress to remove SSA’s administrative budget from the spending caps and he is asking Congress to approve a separate fund for CDRs.

What is the future? As envisioned by Mr. Apfel, we will be handling increased workloads along with rising receipts. Last year all claims were handled but we had some delays. More time both at the DDSs and OHA is needed to adjudicate claims “and a stronger front end” process.

What did Commissioner Apfel say about Prototype? “Well it is hard work! It’s a tough process. It eliminates the Recon and puts more work on the front line and hopefully will have less work going to OHA.” From Prototype, SSA is looking for a higher allowance rate at the DDS, the front end of the process, and lower allowance rate at OHA, the back end of the process. In order for this to occur, SSA needs to address training issues, clarification of policy and procedures, and communication between Field Offices and DDSs, and between DDSs and OHA. We need a better product coming out of the field offices in the 3368. SSA needs process unification to make sure that all decisions are fair, thus adding legitimacy to the public. SSA needs the resources to make Prototype work. Commissioner Apfel stated that he is convinced that the Reconsideration step has no added value to the process. Preliminary data shows that the accuracy is about the same for the prototype process as it is for the current process. SSA needs to build a process that has legitimacy and if it costs more…..then it costs more and we need the funding to make it work.

On Disability Claims Manager – The decision on DCM is still a long way off. Commissioner Apfel said that there are a lot of lessons to be learned from the DCM pilot; however, the formal evaluation is still six months off. Despite the rumors, DCM is not likely to result in a radical shift of work from the DDS to the Field Offices. SSA is willing to work with DDSs and Field Offices to develop better communication and a better 3368. What is Vision 2010? It’s how we will be doing business in the future. Customer expectations have risen due to technology and the Internet. SSA needs the resources to provide world class service to the public and to deal with increased workloads of all types. The key to providing good service to the public is technology. Computers will be replaced every three years. Information will go from the Field Office to the DDS and to OHA via the computer. All SSA staff will have access to the Internet. Customers will be able to file applications over the Internet and their claim may be taken in another state. Vision 2010 is the opportunity to tell everyone what we need to provide good service in the future and we need a higher skilled workforce to do so. And yes, it will cost more. Commissioner Apfel stated that SSA will work with the states to upgrade Disability Examiner salaries and that he has written letters to four state governors asking for salary increases. He also stated that SSA is on the agenda to discuss pay issues at the National Governor’s Conference.

IF NOT US...THEN WHO.. will meet these challenges? Commissioner Apfel said he has never seen cooperation better between DDSs and Field Offices. He feels that SSA employees have the right attitude and heart to meet the challenges of the millennium and keep moving forward to meet the needs of the public.