Temple Health is working with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to streamline the process through which qualified patients receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). Applicants will be able to authorize Temple Health to send their medical records to the SSA electronically—cutting application wait times by up to 50%.
“This partnership will make our patients’ lives easier,” says Abhi Rastogi, MBA, MIS, President & CEO of Temple Health. “Applying for SSDI can be stressful and time-consuming, and delays can have significant financial and personal consequences. By modernizing this process and reducing wait times, we’re eliminating barriers to care.”
Applying for SSDI means sending the SSA medical records showing proof of a qualifying disability, which most do via mail or fax. Not only can these methods cause significant delays, but having applicants submit their own materials—and decide which documents to include—also increases the likelihood that required information is omitted.
Allowing Temple Health to share medical records electronically solves both problems: records are available instantaneously, and the SSA can access all necessary information.
“This is yet another way Temple Health is leveraging the latest technology to help patients better navigate the healthcare system,” Rastogi says.