Social Insurance Policy Seminar Reveals Additional Factors Feeding Disability Benefits Backlog

 

While the national health care debate advanced to the Senate floor this week, another discussion took place in Washington, DC concerning Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability Insurance.

On November 18, scholars from the National Academy of Social Insurance, a non-profit , nonpartisan group of leading experts on social insurance, came together to discuss ways to promote a better understanding of how the nation’s two largest disability income maintenance programs can work more efficiently together to improve services to injured workers and their families. The policy seminar was co-sponsored by the Social Security Administration.

Among several complex issues identified by leaders in the field is that there are significant barriers to worker’s compensation, specifically for workers with occupational diseases. Workers are being forced into the Social Security Disability benefits system already severely backlogged with applicants. The delay in receiving benefits is impacting the quality of life for disabled workers and their families.

The seminar opened dialog to find solutions to inefficiencies impacting the lives of disabled workers. It comes at a time when health care reform has made historical strides in Congress, providing opportunity for injured workers to pay close attention to efforts being made to improve disability services.