United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1998-03-27 monographic deposited born digital 28 p. GA 1.13:HEHS-98-75 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75 P0b002ee18039e14f f:he98075 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75 HEHS-98-75 Overpayments Eligibility determinations Claims processing Federal social security programs Data bases Data collection Social security benefits Computer matching Financial records Beneficiaries Supplemental Security Income Program HHS New Hire Data Base HHS Quarterly Wage Data Base Letter Report HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO conducted a follow-up review on the feasibility of the Social Security Administration (SSA) using new data sources on earnings and financial account information to determine applicants' eligibility for the Supplemental Security Income program, focusing on: (1) the extent to which overpayments occur because SSI clients fail to disclose their earnings and financial accounts; (2) whether SSA could obtain more current and comprehensive information to detect undisclosed earnings; and (3) whether the agency could obtain more current and comprehensive information on undisclosed financial accounts.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) unreported or underreported earnings and financial accounts continue to result in significant overpayments in the SSI program; (2) according to SSA's overpayment data, the failure of SSI clients to disclose earnings and financial accounts was responsible for approximately 40 percent of the $1.6 billion in overpayments identified for fiscal year 1996; (3) specifically, about $379.5 million in overpayments was the result of SSI clients not fully disclosing their earnings, and $268.1 million was the result of clients not disclosing financial account information; (4) more current and comprehensive information is now available to detect undisclosed earnings; (5) SSA detects overpayments resulting from undisclosed earnings primarily by matching information provided by SSI clients with earnings data used in the administration of other government programs; (6) however, computerized matches, which are not done until individuals are on SSI's rolls, have built-in delays in detecting overpayments that range from 6 to 21 months; (7) two databases developed for use by the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) could provide SSA with more current and comprehensive earnings information; (8) SSA could check these databases prior to placing applicants on the rolls and thereby prevent overpayments caused by applicants failing to disclose earnings at the time of application; (9) these databases would also allow SSA to detect occurences of undisclosed earnings to ongoing recipients within 4 to 6 months and thereby reduce the number and duration of the corresponding overpayments; (10) opportunities for improved financial account information also exist; (11) SSA detects undisclosed financial accounts by conducting computer matches once a client's eligibility has been established; (12) this match, however, can only detect undisclosed accounts that existed 9 to 21 months before; (13) SSA could obtain up-to-date information on the financial accounts of SSI clients from financial institutions by accessing the nationwide telecommunication network, which links all financial institutions; (14) such information would help ensure that applicants whose bank accounts would make them ineligible for the program do not gain eligibility; and (15) by eliminating ineligible individuals at the point of application, SSA could avoid the expense of determining medical and vocation disability and could also reduce the number and duration of overpayments to ongoing recipients who are overpaid because of newly acquired financial accounts or increases in existing ones. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75/html/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75/pdf/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75.pdf GAO/HEHS-98-75 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-HEHS-98-75 Letter Report GAO/HEHS-98-75; Supplemental Security Income: Opportunities Exist for Improving Payment Accuracy; Overpayments Eligibility determinations Claims processing Federal social security programs Data bases Data collection Social security benefits Computer matching Financial records Beneficiaries Supplemental Security Income Program HHS New Hire Data Base HHS Quarterly Wage Data Base