Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Congressional Response Report - SSA’s Policy on Symptom Validity Tests in Determining Disability Claims

September 19, 2013

In a January 30, 2013, letter to the Inspector General, Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, requested we review SSA’s policy that disallowed the purchase of SVTs for disability determinations. SVTs are used to determine whether an individual is exhibiting signs of malingering. Malingering is a term used to describe individuals who intentionally pretend to have, or grossly exaggerate, physical or psychological symptoms for their own gain.

Senator Coburn also requested that we review medical literature and survey other agencies and private disability insurance providers regarding the usefulness of SVTs in determining disability.

Our objective was to (1) review the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) policy that prohibits the purchase of symptom validity tests (SVT) in disability determinations; (2) determine the medical community’s opinion on the usefulness of SVTs; and (3) determine whether other Federal agencies and private disability insurance providers consider or fund the purchase of SVTs.

Read the full report

Read the summary report

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov