Social Security Disability: Action Needed to Improve Use of Medical Experts at Hearings

Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Social Security Administration's Office of Hearings and Appeals' (OHA) use and selection of medical experts (ME) to provide testimony or evidence for disability hearings and cases.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected	Recommendation	Status
Social Security Administration	To improve the use of medical experts, the Commissioner of Social Security should instruct OHA management to: (1) issue necessary procedures to ensure compliance with OHA rotation policy and federal procurement policy; and (2) use staff who are separate from administrative law judge (ALJ) influence for selecting and scheduling medical experts and to document justification for medical expert selections out of rotation order.	Closed – Implemented Each regional office: (1) issued a memo on rotational policy and the need to separate ME scheduling from specific ALJ; and (2) established a system for monitoring adherence to the rotational policy. Action was completed March 31, 1992.
Social Security Administration	To improve the use of medical experts, the Commissioner of Social Security should instruct OHA management to require regional offices to monitor and analyze medical expert use and identify medical expert recruitment needs.	Closed – Implemented Operational manuals were revised to include specific instructions for monitoring and analyzing ME use and recruitment needs. An automated expenditure accounting system will identify use and fees paid to each ME. A system is being used until the automated system is ready. Action was completed March 31, 1992.
Social Security Administration	To improve the use of medical experts, the Commissioner of Social Security should instruct OHA management to review recruitment guidelines to identify additional means to reach potential medical experts.	Closed – Implemented SSA reviewed existing guidelines and incorporated more detailed and comprehensive recruitment instructions into the operations manual. Action was completed September 30, 1991.

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Claims adjudicatorsConsultantsCourtroom proceedingsDisability benefitsEligibility determinationsEvidentiary hearingsFederal social security programsMedical feesPhysiciansSocial security benefits