Earlier this year, I wrote about a newspaper looking into doctors hired by Social Security to review Social Security disability cases. The Tennessean discovered that many of these doctors were spending mere minutes to review complicated medical conditions. This allowed them to bill Social Security millions of dollars for work they barely did.
Big Brother Was Watching
It seems that important people took note of this newspaper article. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has announced that they are launching an investigation. This is good news for all people trying to get Social Security disability benefits. For one thing, the GAO can look at how Social Security medical consultants operate across the nation. It seems likely that the abuses that Tenneseean found in that state are also going on in most other states.
Congress May Make Changes
The GAO is known to be thorough and non-partisan. They are one government branch that actually works well. A report from GAO carries a lot of weight in Washington. If the GAO turns up evidence of systematic abuse of the Social Security disability medical consultant program, it is probable that Congress will act to reform this system.
Even The Threat Of Investigation May Bring Improvements
In the meantime, those doctors who are spending 10 minutes on a Social Security disability medical file before sending in their inflated bills are on notice. This may lead to these doctors self-regulating and doing honest work again. That alone would boost the chances that a Social Security disability benefits applicant will get approved.
