Public Records Request Template — MassAbility DDS Operational Data

Submit via: https://www.mass.gov/forms/submit-a-massability-public-records-request

Estimated to fill: ~30+ PRR cells in the master DDS Statistics table.

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Subject: Public Records Request — DDS Division Operational Statistics, FY 2002–2024

Body:

Pursuant to Massachusetts Public Records Law, Chapter 66 of the General Laws, I hereby request the following operational records for the Disability Determination Services (DDS) division of MassAbility (formerly Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission), covering fiscal years 2002 through 2024 (or earliest available year):

Section 1: Annual Reports

1. The complete text of each Annual Report and/or Section 9F Report submitted by DDS to the legislature, fiscal years 2002–2022 (years not currently published on mass.gov).

Section 2: Operational Metrics (annual figures, by fiscal year)

For each fiscal year 2002–2024, the following operational figures for the DDS division:

2. Total claim receipts (initial + reconsideration + continuing disability review + hearings)
3. Total claim dispositions (same scope)
4. Initial claims filed
5. Initial claims disposed
6. Continuing Disability Review (CDR) receipts
7. Continuing Disability Review dispositions
8. Consultative examinations (CE) purchased
9. Consultative examination rate (computed or as published)
10. Medical Evidence of Record (MER) requests purchased
11. Medical Evidence of Record rate
12. DDS accuracy of decisions (state internal QA)
13. Federal accuracy of decision standard in effect that year
14. Claim allowance rate (% Allowed)
15. Cost per case (per-disposition cost)

Section 3: Workforce Metrics (annual figures, by fiscal year)

For each fiscal year 2002–2024:

16. Authorized FTE count of Vocational Disability Examiners (VDEs), broken down by grade (I/II/III/IV or A/B/C/D as applicable)
17. Authorized FTE count of medical and psychological consultants
18. Authorized FTE count of clerks, supervisors, and DDS support staff
19. Total authorized FTE count of all DDS division employees
20. Overtime hours offered (total annual)
21. Overtime hours used (total annual)

Section 4: Special Populations

22. Annual count of disability claims processed by the DDS division for individuals identified as homeless or in homeless shelters, fiscal years 2013–2024
23. Annual count of disability claims processed for individuals identified as having HIV, fiscal years 2013–2024
24. Any other special-population breakouts disclosed in DDS annual reports

Section 5: Budget

25. Annual DDS division operating budget (federal SSA reimbursement received), fiscal years 2002–2022
26. Annual breakdown of budget by category (personnel, consultants, fixed costs, IT) where available

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Format Requested

Please provide responsive records in:

1. Native electronic format where available (PDF for reports, Excel/CSV for tabular data)
2. Combined into a single ZIP file to expedite delivery

Per Massachusetts Public Records Law, please respond within 10 business days indicating whether the request will be granted in full, in part, or denied.

If any portion of this request is denied or delayed, please cite the specific exemption claimed and the reasonable estimate of additional time required.

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Why this matters

The data in this request is needed to maintain 509dds-data, an open data repository documenting workforce trends, claim adjudication outcomes, and operational metrics at MassAbility's DDS division. The repository serves both labor research (SEIU Local 509 chapter analysis) and public-interest disability-claims research.

This request seeks only aggregate, non-personally-identifying operational figures already routinely tracked by DDS leadership and reported to the legislature.