The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation (2017) / Chapter Skim
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8 Review of Social Security and Other Selected Disability Compensation Programs
8 Review of Social Security and Other Selected Disability Compensation Programs
Pages 405-432
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From page 405... ...
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) ; Service Canada's Canada Pension Plan (CPP)
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From page 406... ...
OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER SELECTED PROGRAMS Social Security Administration As described in Chapter 1, SSA oversees two programs that provide benefits based on disability through the Social Security Act: Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
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. The VBA provides disability compensation and other assistance services, including the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (VR&E)
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. Selected Private Disability Insurance Providers During two of the committee's public sessions, invited speakers from Unum and Prudential Financial provided information about disability determination and consideration or provision of assistive devices in the private insurance sector.
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However, Unum "utilizes assistive devices and technology in support of occupational functioning" (Jackson, 2016) , and Prudential specified that it covered assistive products and technologies primarily for return-to-work purposes, most commonly musculoskeletal aids such as modified workstations, chairs, or mobility devices (Tugman and Kramschuster, 2016)
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considers whether the applicant's RFC meets or exceeds the skill requirements for his or her past relevant work (generally in the past 15 years prior to adjudication) , based on the person's capacity to perform work-related activities (Wixon and Strand, 2013)
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. Veterans Benefits Administration The VBA disability determination process can be divided into two main steps: the development of medical evidence and the rating process (IOM, 2007)
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Disability ratings are then compiled and used by the VSC postdetermination team to process awards and notify claimants of benefit-related decisions. Canada Pension Plan Service Canada uses an adjudication framework to evaluate applications for CPP disability benefits (Government of Canada, 2015b)
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. Selected Private Disability Insurance Providers Disability determination for private insurance varies by company.
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, medical opinions, other medical evidence from medical sources, evidence from nonmedical sources, and prior administrative medical findings of the state or federal DDS medical consultants and psychological consultants. Every SSA disability claim must include evidence that supports the individual's claim that he or she is blind or disabled.
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Selected Private Disability Insurance Providers Prudential and Unum both provided information regarding types of evidence they consider in their disability insurance determinations. Prudential evaluations use medical evidence from medical records and the claimant's attending physician(s)
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Medical evidence is considered along with essential job duties identified by the vocational rehabilitation consultant to identify potential accommodations or assistive devices that may facilitate a safe and successful return to work. Professionals Providing the Evidence Social Security Administration According to SSA regulations, all medical sources can provide medical evidence for a disability claim.
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. Selected Private Disability Insurance Providers The committee was unable to obtain specific information regarding the requirements of private insurance companies with respect to sources of evidence.
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. Selected Private Disability Insurance Providers Training and qualifications for disability adjudicators vary throughout the private disability insurance 14 See Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, section 832 (H.R.
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. Unum disability claims are processed by a contracted DBS with the help of vocational rehabilitation consultants, who are master's-level rehabilitation specialists with additional training in counseling philosophy.
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and therefore, theoretically, could be considered by medical adjudicators in their assessment of a person's ability to engage in substantially gainful employment in the short term and the future. With respect to the private disability insurance industry, representatives from Prudential reported that the majority of diagnoses handled by their company are musculoskeletal in origin, resulting in the provision or consideration of assistive devices that will allow the claimant to "return to work," such as sit/stand workstations, ergonomic workstations, mobility aids, or WSMDs (Tugman and Kramschuster, 2016)
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. The disability determination process used by the VBA does not specifically include the use of UEPs; instead, upper-extremity amputation or loss of use is assessed using the disability rating scale.
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on an applicant's ability to perform substantially gainful employment. Little evidence was available to the committee regarding the details and sucess rates of claims involving use of UEPs submitted to private disability insurers.
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Consideration of hearing-related products and technologies in the private disability insurance sector focuses on the provision of these devices to facilitate return-to-work capabilities, as a claimant's impairment will allow. Prudential includes amplified telephones or headsets, teletypewriters, and vibrating pagers for notification as assistive products commonly provided for its clients to assist with return to work (Tugman and Kramschuster, 2016)
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During that same period, the VBA served more than 4 million veterans with disabilities, followed by CPP, with 329,000 beneficiaries (and 83,000 dependents) receiving disability benefits, and the private disability insurance companies, with Unum serving 80,000 and Prudential serving 5,600 employers, respectively.
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8-7. Consideration of hearing-related products and technologies in the private disability insurance sector focuses on the provision of these
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2017c. Canada Pension Plan disability benefits.
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2016. Service Canada: Canada Pension Plan.
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2016d. Veterans Benefits Administration, compensation, disability compensation.
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graduated rating Binary Graduated system Wheeled and Seated Mobility Devices Factor in consideration of No No severity Factor in consideration of No No function/vocation Upper-Extremity Prostheses Factor in consideration of No No severity Factor in consideration of Yes (may be considered in No function/vocation residual functional capacity [RFC] assessment)
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; 329,000 Canada Pension 3.4 million participants more than 17 million Plan (CPP) beneficiaries participants with disabilities (83,000 dependents)
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