Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

September/October, 2001

SOCIAL SECURITY
Office of the Commissioner May 18, 2001

Ms. Sue Heflin
President
National Association of Disability Examiners
PO Box 1271
Jackson MS 39215

Dear Ms. Heflin:

This is in response to your letter dated April 27, 2001 regarding the Disability Claims Manager (DCM) test and the technical Expert for disability position proposed by the National Council of Social Security Management Associations (NCSSMA). I appreciate NADE’s thoughtful comments regarding the proposal and understand concerns about proceeding with actions related to the DCM prior to the release and review of the evaluation report.

As you know, formal data collection for Phase 2 of the DCM test ended in November 2000, and staff are continuing to analyze data as they complete work on the draft report. As with other major redesign initiatives, the draft will be circulated to stakeholders for comment before being finalized, and as always, we welcome NADE’s input. Disability Process Redesign Team staff will be available to discuss results of DCM testing with stakeholders as soon as the draft is released. The target date for a final report is late June 2001.

There have been no decisions regarding implementation of the SCM. Results of DCM testing will be analyzed along with other options, including NCSSMA’s proposal, as preparations are made for executive decisions.

We continue to welcome suggestions and ideas from our stakeholders on ways to improve service delivery to our disability customers. Thank you for your continuing interest in our disability program and process.

Sincerely,

Larry G. Massanari
Acting Commissioner of Social Security