The Role of continuing disability reviews in child SSI participation patterns

Abstract

We examined descriptive patterns in the frequency of medical continuing disability reviews (CDRs) for child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. These CDRs are designed to determine whether children continue to meet the disability criteria required to qualify for SSI. Benefits cease for children who no longer meet the disability criteria. The frequency with which children face CDRs is intended to reflect the likelihood of medical improvement. However, in practice, this frequency has varied based on funding availability, which impacts staff and caseloads. Our research aimed to summarize longitudinal patterns of which child SSI recipients had benefits ceased over time and their subsequent outcomes, as well as quantify the extent to which CDR cessation patterns contributed to caseload dynamics over time.