Cone Health patients applying for Social Security Disability Insurance can authorize the Social Security Administration to access their medical records directly through Epic, accelerating a process that often takes months.
The new electronic record-sharing initiative is part of a partnership between Cone Health, based in Greensboro, N.C., and the SSA aimed at reducing delays tied to mailed and faxed documentation, according to a Jan. 21 news release. The system allows patients to securely share medical information through Epic, cutting application wait times by nearly half.
Medical documentation is required for disability insurance applications, but most applicants still submit records manually, which can delay processing and lead to errors. The SSA reports average processing times of more than six months, with a backlog of more than 885,000 claims, according to the release.
Cone Health said the Epic-based record-sharing approach replaces slower, manual methods, helping patients access disability benefits more quickly.
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