BACKGROUND

The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and Disability Determination Services (DDS), administer the Cooperative Disability Investigation (CDI) project. Since its inception in 1998, CDI efforts have resulted in over $221 million in projected savings to SSA Title II and Title XVI disability programs and over $117 million in projected savings to non-SSA programs throughout the country.

The program consists of 18 CDI Units (CDIU) nationwide, whose mission is to obtain evidence of material fact sufficient to resolve questions of fraud in SSA’s disability programs. This supports the Agency’s strategic goal of ensuring the integrity of Social Security programs, with zero tolerance for fraud.

Since 1998, CDI Units have been established in Atlanta, GA; Baton Rouge, LA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Iselin, NJ; Nashville, TN; New York, NY; Oakland, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Richmond, VA; Salem, OR; Seattle, WA; St. Louis, MO; Tampa, FL; Denver, CO; to combat Social Security fraud.

Seattle is one of the newer CDI Units established in the program. Authorized in March of 2002, the Unit began operations in December 2002, with employees from the Washington DDS and the Washington State Patrol staffing the unit.

During the first full calendar year of operations (2003), the Seattle Unit has proven itself as one of the most successful units in the nation. The Seattle Unit finished 2003 ranked as the fifth best Unit among the 18 existing Units nationwide. The Unit finished first in the nation for the month of January 2004.

PURPOSE

Facilitating timely and accurate decisions made by the DDS, by gathering evidence to support or refute suspicious claims, and prosecuting individuals and/or groups who knowingly facilitate and/or promote fraudulent disability claims.

UNREPORTED WORK ACTIVITY Anonymous Tips > Obtain specifics; place of work or information on others who may know about the work. Repeat Offenders > Patterns of seasonal work or several months of work with no recent medical review. Claimant’s Appearance > Things being out of place with one’s personal appearance and/or one’s personal property (logos on vehicles).

FOCUS

The majority of referrals to the CDIU are from DDS employees spotting irregularities while processing claims and continuing disability reviews (CDRs). However, the CDIU will accept referrals from anyone and/or source of information.

In a partnership with SSA, Washington State Patrol detectives conduct the investigative portion of the case, while DDS analysts develop documentation to support or refute the legitimacy of the claim. The OIG for the SSA supervises the activities of the CDIU and ensures appropriate action is taken on each claim in question.

If sufficient information and evidence is obtained, the case is presented to either a US Attorney or a local District Attorney for prosecution. If a referral does not warrant a criminal charge, civil or administrative remedies may be pursued.