BALTIMORE, MD — Federal officials announced that the Social Security Administration will take direct control of medical disability eligibility reviews nationwide, shifting the work from state agencies to a centralized federal processing system.
What This Means for You
- The Social Security Administration will now handle medical disability eligibility reviews directly.
- State agencies will shift their focus to processing new disability benefit applications.
- Officials say the change aims to reduce improper payments and speed up benefit decisions.
The Social Security Administration said the change will move the processing of medical Continuing Disability Reviews from State Disability Determination Services to the agency’s federal Disability Case Review site.
Continuing Disability Reviews are periodic evaluations used to determine whether individuals receiving Social Security disability benefits remain medically eligible for those payments.
Federal Agency Taking Direct Oversight
Under the new structure, the federal Disability Case Review operation will process medical reviews for the entire country.
Previously, state Disability Determination Services agencies conducted those reviews.
Officials said the change places all continuing disability reviews — both medical and non-medical — under the direct oversight of the Social Security Administration.
“By centralizing medical continuing disability reviews under Social Security, we are taking another important step towards operational excellence, reducing improper payments, and providing best-in-class service to Americans in critical need of support,” Social Security Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said.
State Agencies Shift Focus to New Claims
State disability determination agencies will continue working with the Social Security Administration but will now focus primarily on reviewing new disability benefit applications and reconsideration cases.
Federal officials said the shift should allow states to process claims more quickly and reduce waiting times for applicants seeking disability benefits.
Bisignano said the change will also help reduce backlogs for new claims.
Disability Claims Backlog Declining
According to the agency, the number of pending disability claims has declined significantly over the past two years.
In June 2024, the initial disability claims backlog reached more than 1.26 million cases.
As of February 2026, that backlog had dropped by more than one-third to about 831,000 pending claims.
Officials said allowing state agencies to focus on initial claims processing should further reduce wait times for applicants.
How Reviews Will Be Handled
Under the new system, the Disability Case Review operation will conduct medical reviews nationwide.
Non-medical continuing disability reviews — which do not require clinical evaluations — will continue to be processed by Social Security field offices and administrative processing centers.
Officials said the restructuring is intended to improve processing efficiency while maintaining oversight of the disability benefits program.
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