In an effort to streamline the Social Security Disability claim process, the Social Security Administration has taken many efforts to implement technology into their procedures. The eDIB system, or electronic disability system, is a tool that has been implemented to allow for faster and more organized processing of Social Security Disability claims.
The eDIB system utilizes electronic disability folders that do away with the antiquated paper folders that the Social Security Administration has traditionally utilized when processing Social Security Disability claims. No longer do paper folders clutter the desks of Social Security Disability employees and there is no longer any risk of these folders getting lost in the shuffle or lost in the mail.
The eDIB system also allows multiple SSA employees to work with a disability claim folder at the same time. This can speed up the SSA decision process, which can lead to a shorter wait for applicants who are waiting for an approval of their Social Security Disability benefits.
An eDIB folder contains all of the same information that the traditional disability claim folders contained except the information is stored in an electronic format rather than a paper format. All information from doctors is scanned into the file and claims can be handled online. A claimant can still receive a copy of his or her disability claim folder with the eDIB system, but the copy is sent on a computer CD disc rather than in paper format. It is estimated that the eDIB system saves the SSA more than $1 billion when compared with the cost of creating, storing and mailing paper-based claim folders.
Not only does the eDIB system save the Social Security Administration time and money and result in the faster processing of disability claims, but it also reduces the amount of paper used by the SSA and the office space needed to manage and store the claim folders that are associated with handling paper-based Social Security Disability claims.
