[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 149 (Tuesday, August 4, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41612-41614]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20658]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Information Collection Activities
This notice lists information collection packages that will require
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as
information collection packages submitted to OMB for clearance, in
compliance with Pub. L. 104-13 effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995.
Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection Requests and
Comment Requests
I. The information collection(s) listed below require(s)
extension(s) of the current OMB approval(s) or are proposed new
collection(s):
1. Manchaca Ruling Compliance Survey--0960-NEW. In accordance with
the terms of the United States District Court ruling on MANCHACA et al.
v. Chater, the Social Security Administration (SSA) must inform social
security and supplemental security income (SSI) applicants/recipients
about benefits under the food stamp program and make available food
stamp applications to these individuals. SSA is also required to
complete food stamp applications for SSI applicants/recipients when all
members of the individual's household are receiving SSI benefits. The
terms of the settlement agreement include a provision that SSA is to
conduct a study in the State of Texas, locus of the class action
litigation, to determine the Agency's effectiveness in promoting the
goals of joint processing and the extent of the Agency's compliance
with food stamp procedures. As part of the study, SSA will survey a
random sample of social security and SSI applicants/recipients to
determine public understanding of SSA's role in the food stamp process.
The study will determine the level of the respondent's awareness of
food stamp processing in SSA field offices in Texas, and the degree to
which field offices have complied with the food stamp application
procedures. The information will be included in a report which will be
provided to the Commissioner of SSA, the court and the plaintiffs.
Number of Respondents: 450.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 112.5 hours.
2. Verification of Identity of Internet Requestors of Information
from SSA Records--0960-NEW. SSA has established a process for verifying
the identity of individual's who use the Internet to request
information from SSA records. The electronic screens request specific
information which will allow the public to establish their identity
with SSA. These screens must be completed in order for the requestor to
use certain Internet applications, such as a Request for a Personal
Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement, a Request for a Replacement
Benefit Statement (SSA-1099/SSA-1042S), etc. SSA will use the
information to verify the requester's identity by comparing it to the
information already in SSA's records. The respondents are members of
the public who request information from SSA through the Internet.
Number of Respondents: 540,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 3.5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 31,500 hours.
3. Electronic Request for Benefit Verification Information--SSA
provides verification of benefits, when requested, to individuals
receiving social security or SSI benefits. In order to provide to the
public an easy and convenient means of requesting benefit information,
SSA has developed an electronic request form which will allow persons
to request the information through the Internet. The information
collected on the electronic screens will be used by SSA to process the
request for a benefit verification statement. To ensure appropriate
confidentiality, the statement will be mailed to the recipient/
beneficiary address shown in SSA's records. The respondents are social
security or SSI recipient/beneficiaries who request benefit
verification information using the Internet.
Number of Respondents: 133,920.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: \1/2\ minute.
Estimated Annual Burden: 1,116 hours.
4. Information Collections Conducted by State Disability
Determination Services (DDS) on Behalf of SSA--0960-0555. The State
DDS's collect certain information to administer SSA's disability
program. The information collected is as follows: (1) Medical evidence
requirements (MER)--DDSs use MER information to determine a person's
physical and/or mental status prior to making a disability
determination; (2) CE providers-- DDSs use the CE provider information
to verify a medical provider's credentials and license before hiring
them to conduct consultative exams; (3) consultative exams (CE) --DDSs
use CE information to make disability determinations when the
claimant's own medical sources cannot or will not provide the
information; DDSs use the information obtained from claimants under the
CE process to obtain release of medical information to personal
physicians and to confirm scheduled CE appointments; (4) activities of
daily living--this information, together with medical evidence, are
part of the evidentiary documentation used by the DDS's in evaluating a
person's disability, and (5) pain information--this information is used
by the DDSs to assess the effects of symptoms on functionality for
determining disability. The respondents are medical providers and
disability claimants.
[[Page 41613]]
(1) MER: (Respondents--Medical Providers)
Number of Responses: 9.181 million
Frequency of Response: Unknown.
Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes
Estimate Annual Burden: 2,295,250
(2) CE Providers (Respondents--Medical Providers)
Number of Responses: 6,300.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden: 20 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 2,100 hours.
(3) CE: (Respondents--Medical Providers)
Number of Responses: 3 million.
Frequency of Response: Unknown.
Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 1.5 million.
CE: (Respondents--Claimants)
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Appointment letter Medical release form
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Number of Responses.................... 750,000................................ 1.5 million.
Frequency of Response.................. 2...................................... 2.
Average Burden Per Response............ 5 minutes.............................. 5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden................ 125,000 hours.......................... 250,000 hours.
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(4) ADL: (Respondents--Claimants)
ADL
Number of Responses: 2,264,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 566,000 hours.
(5) Pain: (Respondents--Claimants)
Number of Responses: 1,000,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Average Burden: 250,000 hours.
Written comments and recommendations regarding the information
collection(s) should be sent within 60 days from the date of this
publication, directly to the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the
following address: Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn:
Frederick W. Brickenkamp, 6401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg.
Baltimore, MD 21235.
In addition to your comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden
estimate, we are soliciting comments on the need for the information;
its practical utility; ways to enhance its quality, utility and
clarity; and on ways to minimize burden on respondents, including the
use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
II. The information collection(s) listed below have been submitted
to OMB:
1. Medical Report (General)--0960-0052. The information on Form
SSA-3826 is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to
determine the claimant's physical status prior to making a disability
determination and to document disability claims folders with the
medical evidence. The respondents are physicians, hospitals, directors
and medical records librarians.
Number of Respondents: 750,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 375,000 hours.
2. Payment of Certain Travel Expenses--0960-0434. SSA uses the
information required by 20 CFR, Secs. 404.999(d) and 416.1499 to
reimburse a claimant who has been required to travel over 75 miles to
appear at a medical examination or a disability hearing. The
respondents are claimants who travel more than 75 miles in order to
attend a medical examination or a disability hearing.
Number of Respondents: 50,000.
Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 8,333 hours.
3. Social Security Request for Information--0960-0531. The
information on Form SSA-6231 is used by SSA to complete or to clarify
data on Forms SSA-623 or SSA-6230, previously provided by
representative payees. The respondents are representative payees who
furnished incomplete or unclear information.
Number of Respondents: 100,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 25,000 hours.
4. Statement Regarding Student's Attendance--0960-0113. The
information on Form SSA-2434 is used to determine student entitlement
status for the children of coal miners, the children of their widows or
the brothers of deceased coal miners eligible for black lung benefits.
The respondents are dependents of deceased coal miners as cited above,
who are attending school and about to attain age 18.
Number of Respondents: 50.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 8 hours.
5. Request for the Correction of Earning Records--0960-0029. Form
SSA-7008 is used by individual wage earners to request that SSA review,
and if necessary, correct the Agency's master record of their earnings.
The respondents are individuals who question SSA's record of their
earnings.
Number of Respondents: 375,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 62,500 hours.
6. Plan for Achieving Self Support--0960-0559. The information on
form SSA-545 is collected by SSA when a Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) applicant/recipient desires to use available income and resources
to obtain education and/or training in order to become self-supportive.
The information is used to evaluate the recipient's plan for achieving
self-support to determine whether the plan may be approved under the
provisions of the SSI program. The respondents are SSI applicants/
recipients who are blind or disabled.
Number of Respondents: 7,000.
Frequency of Response: Varies per individual.
Average Burden Per Response: 120 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 11,000 hours.
Written comments and recommendations regarding the information
collection(s) should be directed within 30 days to the OMB Desk Officer
and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the following addresses:
(OMB)
Office of Management and Budget, OIRA, Attn: Laura Oliven, New
[[Page 41614]]
Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW, Washington, DC
20503
(SSA)
Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235
To receive a copy of any of the forms or clearance packages, call
the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4145 or write to him at
the address listed above.
Dated: July 28, 1998.
Judith T. Hasche,
Deputy Office Director, OPUM, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 98-20658 Filed 8-3-98; 8:45 am]
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