Continuing Disability Reviews

The Social Security Administration in November, 2019, gave notice of new rules regarding the frequency and notice of Continuing Disability Reviews (see Social Security summary below). 

If Social Security makes these rules final, people currently receiving Social Security Disability Insurance or Supplemental Security Income Disability benefits will face more frequent and likely more aggressive reviews.

What you need to do if you are currently receiving disability benefits.

1.  Make sure that Social Security has your current mailing address.

2.  Answer any inquiry from Social Security promptly.  Stick to the deadlines.  Keep a copy of your correspondence with Social Security.

3.  To be able to respond to Social Security inquiries, you need to plan ahead—make sure you have your medical information at your fingertips—the names and addresses and telephone numbers of your treating providers and the names and prescriptions/instructions for your medications.

Social Security summary:
 

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Rules Regarding the Frequency and Notice of Continuing Disability Reviews (November 18, 2019)

Summary: We propose to revise our regulations regarding when and how often we conduct continuing disability reviews (CDR), which are periodic reviews of eligibility required for benefit continuation. The proposed rules would add a category to the existing medical diary categories that we use to schedule CDRs and revise the criteria for assigning each of the medical diary categories to cases. The proposed rules would also change the frequency with which we perform a CDR for claims with the medical diary category for permanent impairments. The revised changes would ensure that we continue to maintain appropriate stewardship of the disability program and identify medical improvement (MI) at its earliest point.

The proposed changes to Continuing Disability Reviews (CDR) are published here: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-11-18/pdf/2019-24700.pdf

For general help in organizing your medical and prescription records and in talking to Social Security, see my book, How to Get Social Security Disability and SSI Disability.