Industry News
D.C. Corner: Adjudication Automation Leads to Increased Timeliness
January 19, 2010
Since On Point Technology began its support of the District of Columbia's benefit IT operations, system enhancement has played a prominent role. A prime example can be seen in the adjudication system (NMDS) developed by On Point Technology. Like all state workforce agencies, D.C. was drowning in adjudication backlog. Not only was non-monetary time lapse being affected, but also initial payments. On Point Technology's solution was to transfer the fact-finding responsibilities to the claimant and employer whenever possible, automatically assign issues to adjudicators, and provide online determination entry. This is accomplished through their Internet-based system.
As claimants file an initial, additional, or continued claim over the Internet, and raises a separation or non-separation issue, they are presented with a fact-finding questionnaire. The questions are tailored to fit each particular issue. For instance, if a claimant indicates they were discharged due to a rule violation, they are presented with questions pertaining to dates, rules violated, warnings, etc. and are asked to provide only those facts pertinent to the issue. Questionnaire results are then stored in a web file for future review, and the issue uploaded to the mainframe.
For initial and additional claims, a request for separation notice is created and sent to the employer. The notice instructs the employer on how to use D.C.'s employer portal to electronically transmit their separation information. Seeing as claimants and employers do not always agree on the facts surrounding a separation, employers are given the same fact-finding capability and flexibility to provide their side of the story.
Claims filed telephonically are processed in the same manner as those filed via the Internet. The main difference being a claims taker is entering the information. The claim and fact-finding entry format, however, remain the same. Once created, non-monetary issues are automatically assigned to an adjudicator. As adjudicators review their online workbox, they can select an issue, see if the fact-finding is complete or not, and finish the process as necessary. The system also provides a determination template for decision entry and creation of the determination document for both the employer and claimant. The document remains available for future review.
Within a year of implementation, the District became one of the highest performing agencies in the region in non-monetary timeliness. Talk about a quick bang for the buck! Not only has D.C. seen a significant improvement in time lapse, but adjudicators now have more time to spend on the more complex issues. Another example of how On Point Technology is using automation to make life a little easier for UI staff. If you are interested in learning more about the services On Point Technology provides to DC, please contact Michael Marshman at mike.marshman@onpointtech.com.