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Homeless Persons Being Denied Critical AidNew Law Center Report Shows Need to Expand Access to Social Security Disability BenefitsMay 16, 2012Today, the Law Center released Improving Access,
a new report on how bureaucratic barriers are preventing thousands of
homeless Americans from accessing Social Security disability benefits
that could help them get off the street. A key cause of this is that while nurse practitioners and physician's assistants are often the health care workers who treat homeless people, their diagnoses are not accepted as medical evidence by the Social Security Administration. Unable to secure documentation from a doctor, a majority of eligible homeless people never access benefits. Only allowing a doctors diagnosis is meant to prevent fraud and ensure only eligible individuals can access benefits. But according to Improving Access, this approach is inefficient and unnecessary. There are 38 percent more nurse practitioners and physicians assistants practicing primary care today than there are doctors, and their licensing and education requirements are stringent. The current policy prevents thousands of homeless people from accessing services, while also wasting government resources. Letting these other highly-trained professionals provide a diagnosis is just common sense for everyone involved. To read the full report, click here. |
