Nancy A. Berryhill, acting commissioner of Social Security, announced a new collaboration to access medical records electronically from Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), Baltimore, which serves over 2.8 million outpatient visitors annually. With the appropriate patient consent, JHM will transmit complete, secure medical records for Social Security disability applicants. As a result, Social Security will receive medical records within minutes or hours, as compared to weeks through the traditional manual process (mail, fax, or secure website).
“This fast, safe, and secure method for receiving medical records will significantly shorten the time it takes to make a disability decision and makes the process more efficient,” Berryhill said.
Over the last several years, Social Security has entered into similar relationships, and it plans to continue expanding such partnerships.
For information about applying for disability benefits, visit www.socialsecurity.gov.