NC Disability Determination Services goes electronic

NC Disability Determination Services has received certification from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to process disability claims in a fully electronic environment. DDS received official certification in late February to use the electronic disability folder as the official record for Social Security disability claims.

This is a milestone in SSA's history and in the history of the NC DDS. This move to a fully electronic environment places the DDS at the forefront of customer service and as a leader in the utilization of technology.

The electronic folder is the electronic repository used to store disability information that is currently stored in the paper folder. It is a storage system involving many different sources of information and data. The electronic folder allows components to share disability case information without having to move a paper folder between various components.

“The challenges were many and the opportunities never ceased,” said Rhonda Currie, NC DDS Administrator. “We were glad to finally arrive at this moment in the journey. Much has been accomplished since this process began in July 2003.”

The NC DDS served as the nation's pilot state for electronic disability claims processing. The journey involved several stages of implementation including imaging of medical records; on site and off-site scanning of documents; receiving medical records electronically from medical providers; and revising DDS business process. Once a claim becomes electronic the claim will remain electronic through any subsequent reviews. The electronic folder gives authorized employees immediate and simultaneous access to disability claims file.

North Carolina became the 27th state to receive certification and celebrated the accomplishment on March 7.

Certificates recognizing this achievement were presented to all agency components. NC DDS used the celebratory slogan "Slam Dunk" to commemorate this accomplishment.

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Last Modified: April 7, 2006