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I am proud to announce that the Social Security Administration and the Social Security hearing office have selected my office to be among the first group of firms to participate in a program that will give me online access to my clients' disability files. This means that I will be able to see my clients' disability files in "real time." In the past, when attorneys submitted evidence to the Social Security Administration or to the hearing office, we either had to contact them to confirm receipt or we would have to wait until the next time we obtained a copy of the entire file.

The Social Security Administration has issued new rulings which allow representatives to have online access to their clients' folders. The number of representatives selected for this service will be limited, especially in the beginning stages. The development of this system was a large task because Social Security files are confidential. I had to pass security clearance and I will only be allowed access to a client's folder after the Social Security Administration has received confirmation that I have been appointed as representative in a particular case. Now that SSA has cleared me for this program, I will have access to en entire "suite of services" that will become ever more important.

I have been allowed to submit medical evidence via an online system for quite some time. However, the system developed slowly. In the past, when I submitted documents, the system would issue a receipt but I could not view the same file that a Social Security employee or a judge was able to see. I would eventually obtain a CD from the Social Security Administration and I would sometimes later obtain updated CDs if the case remained pending. Now I will be able to see the file without waiting for a CD. The only part that I will not be able to see will be the Judge's own notes on the case, which have historically not been released to claimants or representatives.

I'm looking forward to using this service. It will help to speed up the process and it should solve many of the past problems where evidence was getting lost in the mail or left sitting on a fax machine or was lost somewhere online. Before there was any sort of electronic submission, I would send all medical evidence by certified mail return receipt requested and in many cases I would follow up with a fax. However, many Social Security offices and hearing offices do not have enough staff for mail sorting, so evidence was lost, much to everyone's frustration. When attorneys sent the same evidence more than once, we created even more work for the staff, but we often felt that we had no choice because we had to ensure that the evidence made it into the file. In some cases, I had to submit the same medical evidence several times before anyone at Social Security was able to confirm that the evidence made it to the file. If your doctor takes the time to write a report to support your disability, there should be some way to make sure that the Social Security Administration receives the report. This was always "easier said than done." The issue was only somewhat improved when SSA went the route of providing me with CDs of my client files. They were obviously not going to burn new CDs every single time I submitted a new document, so sometimes I still did not have true confirmation that the evidence I submitted made it into the file. I wanted to see all evidence I submitted as part of the file, with exhibit numbers, etc. A fax receipt or even a receipt for uploading a document was not really enough confirmation to me. I was quite boisterous about the problem. Those who know me will know that I only make waves where I have to, and this was an issue that needed a solution. I am happy that there is a solution on the horizon and I am glad that SSA selected me to participate in the expanded version of the electronic records access . I will be able to see client files in real time and I can rest easier knowing that the Social Security Administration has my clients' documents. In many cases, early completion of this task will lead to earlier decisions and less waiting time for my clients.

Please contact my office for a free consultation for Social Security Disability.