Revising SSDI Disability Classifications Act

New disability classification demo for recipients

If enacted, the Social Security Commissioner would run a 10-year Revising Disability Classifications Demonstration Project starting one year after enactment. It would apply to people who get SSDI (Title II) or monthly section 202 disability benefits and would replace the usual continuing disability reviews for participants. The agency would sort participants into four medical categories by expected time to medical improvement: category I — permanent or progressive with no known effective therapy; category II — no expected improvement within 60 months; category III — improvement expected in 25–60 months; category IV — improvement expected in 12–24 months. Review schedules would match those categories: category I in year 7 or 8, category II in year 4 or 5, category III in year 2 or 3, and category IV in year 2. The agency could randomly select people to join the demo but would let people decline. You generally could not appeal your classification, except you could ask for administrative reconsideration to correct a factual or clerical error. The Commissioner would report to Congress starting three years after enactment and then for each of the next four two-year periods on program integrity, effects on the Disability Insurance Trust Fund, benefit durations, employment outcomes, and administrative efficiency. The bill would also extend certain demonstration-authority sunset dates to December 31, 2036 and December 31, 2037.