Quick Release of Records Speeds SSI Help for Needy

The Department of Public Welfare (DPW) asks physicians to respond within 10 days and provide the entire medical record, including progress notes, when state agencies call or fax asking for documentation for indigent patients applying for Social Security Income (SSI).

Assisting these needy families requires a significant amount of medical and behavioral evidence in order to build a case for SSI approval. The families are in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, which provides cash assistance for indigent pregnant women, dependent children, and their families who live with them.

As cases are developed and applications are completed, physicians will typically receive calls or faxes from the following DPW partnering agencies: the Homeless Advocacy Project (HAP), Community Legal Services (CLS), DPW’s Disability Advocacy Program (DAP), and DPW’s Maximizing Participation Program.