Process improvement ensures high-quality disability benefit evaluation

Ongoing quality management and review of disability benefit evaluation processes and procedures is critical for state and municipal retirement system administrators. Public retirement systems may be challenged in these areas due to limited time and resources.

Working with a partner who is skilled in assisting organizations with all aspects of their medical review needs can ease the burden. UMass Chan Medical School’s Disability Evaluation Services offers comprehensive disability evaluation solutions with a focus on quality improvement and client satisfaction. Having the clinical expertise to provide medical board review recommendations and case management is just one of our strengths.

Open, honest communication is a critical success factor when it comes to working with a new partner. Our team understands that each public retirement system is unique with specific strengths, needs, and goals. We appreciate the opportunity to learn your organizational systems and processes so we can be responsive and flexible to meet your specific needs – whether that means implementing targeted training or reformatting reports.

Our decades of clinical and programmatic experience position us to identify and suggest to client’s new processes, methods and tools to improve program administration.

Our Medical Board recommendations are extensive, detailed medical reports that take time to digest. To support one of our clients in its review of these recommendations, our team developed a quick reference sheet that includes whether the claim meets the state statute, whether the individual has been classified as having a disability, and whether it is a duty or non-duty disability.

One additional service we can provide to public retirement systems is an SSA Listings of Impairments review. The Listing of Impairments describes, for each major body system, impairments considered severe enough to prevent an individual from doing any gainful activity. Most of the listed impairments are permanent or expected to result in death, or the listing includes a specific statement of duration. The Listings of Impairments review is a bonus of relevant information that puts an individual’s condition(s) in a larger context and helps the retirement system make the best decision.

As state employees, UMass understands the service mission of public retirement systems. Our track record over the past two decades highlights our flexibility and team approach. A comprehensive medical review – coupled with a positive customer experience – is the best deliverable we can provide.

Learn more about our public retirement system medical board review services.