Virginia Disability Determination Services

What Virginia Disability Determination Services does

Virginia Disability Determination Services (DDS) is a state government agency operating as a division of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). Its core function is to make medical eligibility determinations on disability claims filed under the federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, in partnership with the Social Security Administration, and on Medicaid disability claims in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services. The agency defines disability per SSA criteria: medically determinable impairments preventing substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months for adults, or marked and severe functional limitations for children under 18. Services are delivered free of charge to claimants, and DDS funds consultative examinations, tests, and may reimburse travel expenses.

The operating model is direct-to-government: claimants apply through local Social Security field offices (for SSDI/SSI) or local DSS offices (for Medicaid); SSA/DSS conduct non-medical eligibility verification; DDS staff disability analysts and medical/psychological consultants evaluate medical evidence and render determinations. Delivery is anchored in five district offices — Fairfax, Norfolk, Richmond, Roanoke, and an Extended Service Team (EST) office — supported by a centralized 855-445-3938 phone line routing to assigned analysts. In 2025, the operation produced 131,373 total disability decisions, of which 84,906 were made by Virginia district offices, 21,200 by the EST serving three states, and 25,267 by the medical/psychological consultants team serving nine states. The Extended Service Team and medical/psych consultant functions make Virginia DDS a regional adjudication resource, not solely a Virginia operation.

The business model is government-funded, not revenue-generating. Inputs explicitly state Virginia DDS does not publicly disclose revenue; funding flows from Virginia state appropriations and a federal partnership agreement with SSA. The technology stack is described as standard government case management and records systems with no proprietary components; complementarity is provided by companion DARS programs (Virginia Assistive Technology System, No Wrong Door Virginia/CRIA, Pathways to Careers). Compliance posture covers Section 508, ADA Title II, HIPAA, FERPA, and forthcoming WCAG 2.1 AA under Virginia's HB2541 effective April 24, 2026. The agency is led, at the DARS level, by Commissioner Dr. Nedra Moncrief-Craig.

Name

Virginia Disability Determination Services

Legal name

Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services

Website

https://vadds.virginia.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Determination Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Benefits Administration (BPAIAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability & Leave Administration (STD/LTD/FMLA/Paid Leave) (HLAEALAM)

Keywords

• Disability determination services
• Social security disability
• Medical eligibility evaluation
• Government benefits administration
• Disability claims processing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Allen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Virginia DDS operates as a state agency under DARS, funded through a partnership agreement with the Social Security Administration. The agency does not generate revenue from services - all disability determination services are provided at no cost to claimants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Virginia Disability Determination Services (DDS) is a state government division within the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) that makes medical determinations on disability claims filed under the federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, and on Medicaid disability claims in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services. Disability analysts evaluate medical evidence to determine whether claimants have medically determinable physical or mental impairments expected to prevent substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months. All services are provided at no cost to claimants.

Product overview

Virginia Disability Determination Services (DDS) operates as a division of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), providing disability determination services for the Social Security Administration. The organization functions as a suite of interconnected government service programs rather than a single product: the core Disability Determination Services program handles medical eligibility determinations for SSDI, SSI, and Medicaid disability claims. Supporting programs include the Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS) for assistive technology access and the No Wrong Door Virginia (NWD) platform for coordinated long-term care access across partner organizations. The Pathways to Careers Program complements these with vocational rehabilitation and employment-focused services. These programs work together to serve Virginians with disabilities across the full spectrum of employment, benefits, and technology assistance needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Extended Service Team (EST): A district office of VA DDS that provides assistance to multiple states, having made 21,200 decisions in 2025.

Products and services

• Disability Determination Services Core state agency service that makes medical determinations on disability claims filed under the federal SSDI and SSI programs in partnership with the Social Security Administration, and on Medicaid disability claims in partnership with the Virginia Department of Social Services. Disability analysts evaluate medical evidence to determine whether claimants have qualifying impairments expected to prevent substantial gainful activity for at least 12 months.
• Virginia Assistive Technology System (VATS) DARS-managed program funded by the Assistive Technology Act that helps Virginians with disabilities access and learn about assistive technology, including device demonstration and loan, exchange and reuse of medical equipment, and information and assistance services.
• No Wrong Door Virginia (NWD) Statewide coordinated network of public and private organizations committed to improving access to streamlined, person-centered long-term care support. Area Agencies on Aging serve as local network leaders, with technology powered by a Communication Referral Information Assistance (CRIA) system.
• Pathways to Careers Program DARS-managed program that connects Virginians with disabilities to meaningful careers and job training programs in high-demand, high-growth industries, including apprenticeships, STEM-H careers, and state government jobs through the Alternative Hiring Process.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supportive.

• Social Security Administration (SSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary federal partner. DDS works under a formal partnership agreement with SSA to make medical determinations on disability claims filed under SSDI and SSI programs. SSA handles non-medical eligibility verification (work credits, income, resources) while DDS handles medical determinations.
• Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for Medicaid disability claims. DDS works closely with DSS for disability claims filed under the Medicaid program. DSS handles non-medical eligibility while DDS provides medical determinations.
• SSA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) - Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDDS works with SSA's OIG through a CDI unit to prevent fraud in the disability program. Contact for reporting suspected fraud, waste, or abuse is Deputy Director – Admin Brett Fielding.
• Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired (DBVI)supportiveStrategic or Co-development PartnerDARS works with DBVI for the Alternative Hiring Process (AHP), where both agencies can provide AHP Letters to qualified individuals with disabilities for state government employment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• maximus: Federal contractor that supports SSA disability determination and other government health programs; operates as a broad incumbent providing outsourced administrative services to disability and benefits programs comparable to DDS's mandate.
• Social Security Administration (SSA): The federal partner agency that contracts with Virginia DDS and all state DDS agencies; operates as the broad incumbent overseeing the national disability determination framework.
• Conduent: Government services contractor providing disability, health, and benefits administration services to state and federal agencies, including functions adjacent to DDS's disability determination operations.

Direct peers

• Ohio Disability Determination Section: Ohio's state-level disability determination unit operating under SSA partnership, providing directly comparable medical eligibility determination services for SSDI/SSI claims.
• Texas Health and Human Services Commission - Disability Determination Services: Texas's SSA-designated disability determination agency, operating a multi-office network across the state with the same federal-state partnership model as Virginia DDS.
• New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance: Administers New York's disability determination services alongside broader social services programs, operating under similar SSA partnership agreements with multi-region office structures.
• Illinois Disability Determination Services: Illinois's designated state agency for SSA disability determinations, operating with a comparable multi-office structure and federal-state partnership model.
• California Department of Social Services - Disability Determination Division: Operates California's state-level disability determination function under SSA partnership, processing SSDI/SSI/Medicaid disability claims with comparable structure and regulatory mandate to Virginia DDS.
• Pennsylvania Bureau of Disability Determination: Pennsylvania's SSA-designated disability determination bureau, providing medical disability determinations under the same federal-state partnership structure with district office coverage.
• Florida Department of Health - Disability Determinations: Florida's state-level disability determination unit, providing medical eligibility determinations for federal disability programs with a directly comparable operational model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vadars
• YouTubeyoutube.com/vadrs
• Facebookfacebook.com/vadars
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/va-disability-determination-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/va_dars

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Disability Determination Services