Posted on May 5, 2020
For These Federal Employees, Telework Means Productivity Is Up, Their Backlog Is Down
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The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to work from home, and that includes employees of the federal government. The numbers vary by agency, but at the Social Security Administration, some 53,000 workers are doing so.
Social Security field offices are closed. But the shutdown hasn't stopped the agency from processing claims for new benefits and appeals of benefit denials. And according to statistics that the SSA sent its workers, the agency has been doing so at a faster pace than before.
"Telework is proving a great boon to the service Social Security provides to the American people," says Ralph deJuliis, who works at the SSA's office in Tulsa, Okla. "We are getting the checks to people faster and quicker."
Social Security field offices are closed. But the shutdown hasn't stopped the agency from processing claims for new benefits and appeals of benefit denials. And according to statistics that the SSA sent its workers, the agency has been doing so at a faster pace than before.
"Telework is proving a great boon to the service Social Security provides to the American people," says Ralph deJuliis, who works at the SSA's office in Tulsa, Okla. "We are getting the checks to people faster and quicker."
For These Federal Employees, Telework Means Productivity Is Up, Their Backlog Is Down
Posted from npr.org
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I can speak anecdotally about VA. Our backlog is down, but it is more because state offices and VSOs are closed in states, leading to fewer claims. Our daily intake is less than half of normal.
Also, it is hard to adjudicate claims because supporting offices everywhere are down in staff or in a telework situation. Getting records from the archive, Comp & Pen exams, and securing treatment records from DoD or VA hospitals takes forever.
Also, it is hard to adjudicate claims because supporting offices everywhere are down in staff or in a telework situation. Getting records from the archive, Comp & Pen exams, and securing treatment records from DoD or VA hospitals takes forever.
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1SG (Join to see)
CPO William Rys - That is not true. All of those treatment records are digitized, and any person with access can look up any of your VAMC treatment records regardless of facility. Even for those that do not have that access, it is a simple release form from you that gets hard or soft copies transferred to the current treatment facility.
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1SG (Join to see) - You may be correct with your assessment that “any person with...regardless of facility” comment, but it is definitely NOT that easy, and clinicians do not have the time to filter through and/or drill down to find specific documents. Ive sat with my nurses and doctors as they got frustrated with the system not cooperating, and simply ordered another test or asked to see my paper copies I hand carried from another facility...
Trust me, I was heavily involved with the IT contracts trying to resolve our numerous issues. One in particular was a $500M contract to merge/integrate VISTA with “modern” Microsoft programming, and it was a complete bust. The contractor involved was unsuccessful, stating it would take another $0.5billion to truly integrate the systems, so all progress came to a halt and the first $0.5B was written off...
Hopefully some progress was made within the last 7-8 years since I was involved in those contracts.
Trust me, I was heavily involved with the IT contracts trying to resolve our numerous issues. One in particular was a $500M contract to merge/integrate VISTA with “modern” Microsoft programming, and it was a complete bust. The contractor involved was unsuccessful, stating it would take another $0.5billion to truly integrate the systems, so all progress came to a halt and the first $0.5B was written off...
Hopefully some progress was made within the last 7-8 years since I was involved in those contracts.
1SG (Join to see)
CPO William Rys - We still have some archaic systems in play, but I would say getting information isn't that difficult. What does suck at times for an individual with extensive records is finding particular documents. The search feature is pretty unwieldy.
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1SG (Join to see) - Thanks for clarifying the extensive records aspect... That has been a huge issue in my situation, further exacerbated by our nomadic lifestyle. Since I retired for good in 2016, we’ve lived/traveled full-time (essentially “homeless”), thus Ive received regular medical care via VA Medical Centers in PA, WV, NV, CA, WA, AZ, FL, etc. I must say the care was outstanding, with a little bit of confusion at the LA VAMC. I needed to see an ophthalmologist, an appointment was not available for two weeks, so the Veteran’s Choice rep at the hospital set me up with a civilian provider. However, when the civilian billed Medicare and VA, it was rejected, and I was totally unaware, as we had driven across to Delaware, then left the country for 2 months in Europe. All was eventually resolved, but it took several months with a pissed-off ophthalmologist billing me for services after the VA told him my visit was not authorized, even though they were the ones who sent me directly there...
But I digress!!!
Our choice of lifestyle is the primary reason I try and keep as many paper records as I can in my possession. I’m not apt to settle down and grow any roots any time soon!!!!
But I digress!!!
Our choice of lifestyle is the primary reason I try and keep as many paper records as I can in my possession. I’m not apt to settle down and grow any roots any time soon!!!!
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I know for my job one of the positive side effects of COVID-19 has been it has caused a speed up of figuring out how to make remote programming of hearing aids work in the VA and also has increased the visibility and usage of VVC/videoconferencing and telehealth and how veterans can get access to care without leaving their homes and coming to the facility. Now the flip side is the VA is going to have to figure out how to still provide these services veterans want using the same skeleton crew of staffing that will be expected to handle this mass onslaught of patients when we can begin seeing in person patients again.
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