Technology can sometimes make the eyes glaze over, but this piece of news should wake us all up. Social Security has finally received funds to update its antiquated computer systems – these systems were least part of the cause of the elephantine backlogs that have plagued us for so long. We’ve noticed different systems for every stop of the process – for example, the bar codes used by the state disability offices are different from the ones used by the hearing offices to sort evidence. Too many fingers in too many pots. Here is an update from the Daily Tech report:
The U.S. government is rarely accused of being a speedy and efficient organization. The hoards of different governmental agencies are often using technology that would have been retired years ago if it was being used in a commercial organization.
Still many U.S. agencies stumble along on antiquated systems that make Americans wait simply because of the inefficiencies inherit in the many systems. One of the most backlogged and important administrations in America, the Social Security Administration (SSA), is looking to spend millions in stimulus funds to build a better IT system and significantly improve its efficiency.
The SSA now has $1 billion in federal stimulus funds that it plans to use 3/4 of to implement a new data center with a goal of reducing the massive backlog of disability claims and improve overall efficiency. The $750 million data center will be used to store the world’s largest repository of digital medical records. The massive repository is expected to grow significantly in the coming years as the baby boomer generation retires and e-health records become standardized. See entire article here: