[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 40946]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20428]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Testing Modifications to the Disability Determination Procedures; 
Federal Processing Center Testing

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Notice of the continuation of testing involving modifications 
to the disability determination procedures.

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SUMMARY: SSA is announcing the continuation of testing that it has been 
conducting under the current rules at 20 CFR 404.906, 404.943, 404.966, 
416.1406, 416.1443, and 416.1466. Those rules authorize the testing of 
several modifications to the disability determination procedures that 
we normally follow in adjudicating claims for disability insurance 
benefits under title II of the Social Security Act (the Act) and claims 
for supplemental security income (SSI) payments based on disability 
under title XVI of the Act. This notice announces the continuation of 
testing in a federal processing center.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Harry Pippin, Disability Models Team 
Leader, Office of Disability, Disability Process Redesign Staff, Social 
Security Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 
21235, 410-965-9203.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current regulations at 20 CFR 404.906, 
404.943, 404.966, 416.1406, 416.1443, and 416.1466 authorize us to test 
different modifications to the disability determination procedures. We 
have described the use of four features of the testing modifications to 
the disability determination procedures as the full process model. 
Those modifications are: the use of a single decisionmaker who may make 
the disability determination without requiring the signature of a 
medical consultant; the conducting of a predecisional interview in 
which a claimant, for whom SSA does not have sufficient information to 
make a fully favorable determination or for whom the evidence would 
require an initial determination denying the claim, can present 
additional information to the decisionmaker before an initial 
determination is made; the elimination of the reconsideration step in 
the administrative review process; and the use of an adjudication 
officer who will conduct prehearing procedures and, if appropriate, 
will issue a decision wholly favorable to the claimant. We incorporated 
an additional modification to the integrated model on September 23, 
1997 (62 CFR 49598). This fifth modification is the elimination of the 
step in the appeals process that permits a claimant to request review 
by the Appeals Council of an administrative law judge decision.
    On April 4, 1997, we published in the Federal Register a notice 
that testing of the full process model would take place at the Social 
Security Administration's Western Program Service Center in Richmond, 
California. Selection of cases for that testing was to begin on or 
about April 28, 1997, and was to continue for approximately one year 
with cases processed for an additional six months. We stated that we 
might choose to extend the duration of the test to obtain additional 
data, and that we would publish another notice in the Federal Register 
if we decided to extend the duration.
    We are now announcing that testing in the Western Program Service 
Center, 2121 Nevin Avenue, Richmond, California, 94802 will be extended 
for one additional year to obtain further data. As we announced on 
April 4, 1997, the test in Richmond involves claims by individuals who 
wish to file by telephone. These cases will be referred to the Western 
Program Service Center by teleservice centers that service residents of 
Arizona. We will continue to select cases for approximately one year, 
and may continue to have cases processed for an additional six months. 
We may add other Federal sites later. If we add other Federal Register 
identifying the added sites.
    This test will combine the five process modifications mentioned 
above, plus two features designed to maximize the resources of a 
Federal processing center: having a two-person team complete the 
application interview by telephone; and effectuating, in the processing 
center, the payment of benefits to claimants who are found disabled. 
The adjudication officers under this model will process cases as they 
are doing in those states in which that feature is being tested 
separately. (Refer to 20 CFR 404.943 and 416.1443.) The single 
decisionmakers will process cases as single decisionmakers are doing in 
those States in which that feature is being tested separately (see 20 
CFR 404.906(b)(2) and 416.1406(b)(2)), except that the single 
decisionmakers in this model also will assist in the claims interview 
and will offer a predecisional interview to a claimant for whom a fully 
favorable determination cannot be made based on the initial information 
obtained. If a claimant is dissatisfied with the initial determination, 
he or she may appeal directly to an administrative law judge. The 
adjudication officer will be the claimant's primary point of contact 
before a hearing is held with an administrative law judge. Claims 
authorizers will participate in the telephone claims interview and will 
effectuate payment to claimants who are found disabled.

    Dated: July 13, 1998.
Susan M. Daniels,
Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-20428 Filed 7-30-98; 8:45 am]
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