starrie

Florida is not part of Social Security's "prototype", which is basically an experiment to expedite disability claims processing. In prototype states, DDS claims examiners, and not physicians, are the decision makers and often write up cases without physician input. Also, the reconsideration step in these states was eliminated (with some exceptions), so that claims denied at the initial level go directly to the ALJ. Don't ask me how they chose the prototype states. I would say that they picked the best states, but I think New Jersey is a prototype state and their DDS is the 2nd worst in the nation in terms of processing time (whereas the DDSs in Pennsylvania, another prototype state, are quite good). I think the participating states volunteered.

Unfortunately, the prototype is set to end. Someone here implied the prototype is a failure because there are higher initial decision errors in prototype states. This is NOT TRUE (see [url]http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d02826t.pdf)[/url]. SS's DQB - their quality assurance branch - does not find more errors in initial cases processed by prototype states. Why someone would want a DDS physician to be the decision maker on his or her claim is beyond me. In my experience, DDS physicians are much more unaware of the program rules than the claims examiners. Most are doctors retired from practice who are just looking for "easy" work to earn a pension or additional income. Many don't really appear to care about the claimants, I suspect, in part, because they are so far removed from them as they never even speak with them like the claims examiners do.

The main problem with the prototype is that there is a bottleneck at the ALJ which SS cannot effectively handle.