United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2006-06-15 monographic deposited born digital 32 p. GA 1.13:GAO-06-779T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T P0b002ee180387448 f:d06779t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T GAO-06-779T Administrative law judges Appeals process Claims processing Claims reconsiderations Disability benefits Federal social security programs Program management Program implementation Testimony A55559 In March 2006, the Social Security Administration (SSA) published a rule that fundamentally alters the way claims for disability benefits are processed and considered. The rule establishes the Disability Service Improvement process (DSI)--intended to improve the accuracy, timeliness, consistency, and fairness of determinations. DSI's changes include an opportunity for an expedited decision during the initial determination process and the elimination of the Appeals Council, which had given claimants the right to appeal administrative law judge (ALJ) decisions before pursuing federal court review. DSI replaces the council with a Decision Review Board, which will selectively review ALJ decisions. However, dissatisfied claimants whose cases are not selected for board review must now appeal directly to the federal courts. Based on its ongoing work, GAO was asked to testify on (1) public and stakeholder concerns about the elimination of the Appeals Council and its replacement by the Decision Review Board and SSA's response to these concerns, as well as (2) the steps that SSA has taken to help facilitate a smooth implementation of the DSI process. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T.pdf GAO-06-779T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-779T Testimony GAO-06-779T; Social Security Administration: Agency Is Positioning Itself to Implement Its New Disability Determination Process, but Key Facets Are Still in Development; Administrative law judges Appeals process Claims processing Claims reconsiderations Disability benefits Federal social security programs Program management Program implementation Title 20 Part 404.1499 20 CFR Part 404.1499