Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

July/August, 1999

Prototypes and Pilots Test Program Changes
by Judy Nesbitt, Illinois DDS

Sue Davis of the Process Redesign Team summarized her discussion of redesign - especially the SDM process - by stating everything began with the “blue book”, which called for a dramatic need to change the disability process. She then commented on the different pilot programs and indicated that now with Commissioner Apfel’s decision that we are now moving to the next level.

We must broaden out vision and improve the disability process in totality. The original blue book, she states, concentrated on initial claims only and now we must continue to expand to include issues on OHA, rehabilitation, fraud and integrity.

The criteria for selecting the prototype states for the SDM were complex as well as simple with the decision settling on one state from each of the regions. With commencement of the SDM process on 10/01/99, the reconsideration will be eliminated, claimant conferences will be initiated and the rationale will be expanded.

SDM will apply to only new applications taken in the FO starting on 10/01/99. She states that training time will be extensive. Ms. Davis spent some time discussing that this SDM was not part of the pilot programs and therefore would necessitate much refinement. The reconsideration will not be ruled out immediately. The process will be both legal and political. She questioned whether the SDM is a test or a roll-out.

Many items need to be redefined from how to do face to face versus telephone interviews. She emphasized that the evaluation must extend through the hearing level. Information and data on the SDM will be collected on many levels, from many sources including the DDS forum, regional and state input, letters, notes, and prototype meetings in Baltimore.

The allowance rate is going up at the DDS naturally without prototype programs and denials are increasing at OHA. Ms. Davis thinks this is due to process unification. Rationale writing was also discussed. There is a tri-regional group looking at rationale activities and making recommendations to the Redesign Team. Processing time is also under review.

Ms. Davis also commented on the various pilot programs. Full Process Model data showed that the DDS allowance rate was essentially the same as the initial level through the reconsideration step. AO was too expensive.

The DCM pilot was of great interest to this writer. I met with Ms. Davis at the Wisconsin DDS along with the other state/federal DCM team from Wisconsin and one state DCM member from Indiana.

The DCM pilot is in several prototype states: Colorado, Alabama and Michigan. In these states, the DCM pilot will match prototype activities with both Federal/State DCM’s. There will be two types of DCM projects in the different states - depending which states are prototype states and which are not. DCM pilot has not started its final evaluation. The evidence does show lower allowance rates and this is attributed to training accuracy. At the present time, this is too small a difference to project success simply to the DCM project.

In conclusion, Ms. Davis stated that she is not ready to state the SDM is a roll-out and we needed to see how everything will work.