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Use Electronic Records Express To Send Health RecordsSSA Publication No. 05-10046, July 2006, ICN 460276 [View .pdf] |
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Electronic
Records Express is an initiative by Social Security and state Disability
Determination Services (DDS) to increase use of electronic options
for submitting health records related to disability claims. If a state
DDS or Social Security needs additional information about a patient
who has filed a claim for Social Security disability, you will receive
a letter asking for medical evidence and other relevant health records.
The requested information helps the DDS and Social Security determine
if your patient qualifies for disability. You can choose the method
of sending the information that works best for you. |
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Advantages of sending health records online or by fax
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Sending records electronically is fast and easySecure website — individual patient records Send electronic health records or scanned paper records through the Social Security secure website using your existing Internet connection. Secure website — multiple patient records You can send batches of patient files via the Social Security secure website in a single operation. Fax Use your office fax to send requested health records to your state DDS or to Social Security any time day or night. The digitized faxes go directly into the claims processing system. |
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Other optionsSecure file transfer — bulk For high-volume operations, you can purchase commercial software to transfer records in an automated machine-to-machine mode, with workflow management, monitoring and reporting features. Continued support for paper submissions If you only can provide paper records, mail them to the Social Security contract scanning service whose mailing address is in the request letter. The contractor will scan the records and send electronic files to the state DDS or Social Security. |
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Frequently Asked Questions |
| Q. | How will sending records electronically affect our work routines? |
| A. | There will be minimum disruption to established routines. Faxing replaces the photocopying you now do. And if you already have electronic health records, you upload files instead of printing them. |
| Q. | What are the costs? |
| A. | The Electronic Records Express options are free of government charges. The high-volume bulk upload alternative requires commercial software and is not free of charge. |
| Q. | What security is provided for web options? |
| A. | The website uses 128-bit secure socket layer (SSL) encryption to protect records submissions to Social Security. Your account is protected by your confidential username and password combination. |
| Q. | Can I fax with my PC fax software? |
| A. | Yes. However, the first page of all faxes must be the bar-coded DDS request letter. You may need a scanner to scan the DDS letter into your computer. |
| Q. | Can I submit records on CD? |
| A. | No. There is no standardized process for handling CDs. The web options should save you time and money over CDs. |
| Q. | Q: How do I choose an Electronic Records Express option? |
| A. | For planning assistance, discuss your business procedures with the Professional Relations Office of your state’s DDS. |
| Q. | If I want to use the secure website, which file formats are compatible? |
| A. | A wide selection of file formats are supported. Social Security will add support for additional formats as needed. |
| Q. | Are Electronic Records Express options compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)? |
| A. | Yes. When a person files a disability claim, he or she (or a parent or guardian) signs an Authorization to Disclose Information (Form SSA-827). This meets the requirements of HIPAA and expressly permits a health care provider to share patient health information by fax or other electronic means as long as reasonable safeguards are used. |
“With minimal effort, my reports
arrive at their destination within
minutes of their creation.”
Dr. Jim Adams, Fellow American Academy
of Disability Examiners Cleveland, Mississippi
If you would like to learn more about submitting health records online or by fax, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and go to 
, send an email to electronic-records-express@ssa.gov or call
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