Health exchange in Michigan Gets $3 million Social Security Contract – Electronic Medical Records For Disability Claims and Recipients

Henry Ford Health System and Oakwood Healthcare Systems will be able to link their medical records to the HHS National Health Information Network Exchange, and perhaps some day we may even have public use with medical records someday on the National network as it has been discussed.

In Boston at Beth Israel Deaconess, a pilot program was created and is in use, beginning in 2008 and they have been exchanging records, and I believe they were the actual first program started by Social Security. Social Security is also sharing records with the VA and DOD. The medical records are relative to disability claims being filed and speeds up the process tremendously. In August of 2009 Social Security set their own budget for electronic medical records.

Social Security budgets 24 Million for EHRs

Even though the system still operates with COBOL at the base they are still working towards new and automated features in other areas s well, such as the debit card for those on disability, less paper to chase. BD

Social Security Disability - New Debit Card, Going Paperless

The Southeast Michigan Health Information Exchange has been awarded a nearly $3 million contract from the U.S. Social Security Administration to start an electronic records initiative.
The contract will allow SEMHIE to automate the process of filing Social Security disability insurance claims in the metro Detroit area.
The electronic process is expected to speed up the approval process from an average of 457 days to just six hours, according to the SSA.
Robert Jackson, SEMHIE chairman and Allen Park physician, said newly disabled patients often file bankruptcy while they are waiting for their disability insurance to be approved.
“There’s just too much duplication and inefficiency in the current process,” Jackson said. “An electronic system will reduce duplicate testing and improve the timeliness of care.”

Santa Clara, Calif.-based Sun Microsystems, Rockville, Md.-based CNSI Inc. and Falls Church, Va.-based Computer Science Corp. will aid SEMHIE in developing the system.

SEMHIE is a health information consortium that includes Chrysler Group L.L.C., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Wayne County Medical Society, Oakland County Medical Society, Greater Detroit Area Health Council, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, Trinity Health, St. John Health System, Henry Ford Health System and Oakwood Healthcare.