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SSA Program for Reviewing the Continuing Eligibility of Disabled Persons

Published: May 25, 1982. Publicly Released: May 25, 1982.
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Highlights

GAO discussed recent efforts by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to reexamine the continued eligibility of persons on the disability rolls. The reexaminations are known as accelerated continuing disability investigations (ACDI). GAO identified a number of issues and problems with the current ACDI process that deserve attention from Congress and SSA. The ACDI's have confirmed that SSA has been paying disability benefits to many persons who were not eligible for the program. However, many of those currently losing their benefits have been on the SSA rolls several years, have what GAO would consider to be severe impairments, and have experienced little or no medical improvement. Consequently, questions have been raised concerning the fairness of the SSA decisions to terminate these people. Much of the criticism about the ACDI effort has been directed toward State agencies and their procedures for developing ACDI cases. GAO found instances of poor medical development practices and some decisions that were not adequately supported. GAO believes that Congress should state whether terminations are appropriate for those already on the disability rolls who have not medically improved. GAO plans to work with Congress to further address matters relating to the medical improvement issue including the status of those who are on the rolls as a result of erroneous initial awards and those who, despite no medical improvement, come under changed eligibility criteria.

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