[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 210 (Friday, October 30, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 58444]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-29261]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Testing Modifications to the Disability Determination Procedures; 
Disability Determination Services Full Process Model with Rationale 
Summary

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of the additional test sites and the duration of testing 
involving modifications to the disability determination procedures.

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SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration (SSA) is announcing the 
locations of additional tests that it will conduct under the current 
rules codified at 20 CFR 404.906, 404.943, 404.966, 416.1406, 416.1443, 
and 416.1466. Those rules provide the authority to test modifications, 
either individually or in any combination, 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 test sites and duration of tests involving a combination 
of modifications to the disability process. The additional testing will 
focus on certain SSA requirements for preparing a rationale for the 
adjudicator's disability determination to see if the modifications have 
any effect on how these requirements are met.

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: In April, 1997, SSA began testing several 
modifications to its disability determination procedures. These 
modifications have been described in a Federal Register notice 
published on April 4, 1997 (62 FR 16210) and final rules published on 
September 23, 1997 (62 FR 49598). Those modifications were: the use of 
a single decisionmaker who may make the disability determination 
without requiring the signature of a medical consultant; the conducting 
of a predecision 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; the use of 
an adjudication officer who will conduct prehearing procedures and, if 
appropriate, will issue a decision wholly favorable to the claimant; 
and the elimination of the Appeals Council step in the administrative 
appeals process.
    Selection of cases for these tests in eleven state sites began in 
April 1997 and ended in January 1998. Adjudication of cases following 
the modified process continues.
    We are now announcing the beginning of additional testing of a 
process that incorporates the above modifications, with the exception 
of the elimination of the Appeals Council step in the administrative 
appeals process. This testing will focus on certain requirements, as 
set out in SSA's rules and regulations, for preparing a rationale for 
the adjudicator's disability determination to see if the integrated 
model procedures have any effect on how these requirements are met. 
Some sites will test all of the modifications as described above, 
except the elimination of the Appeals Council review step; in other 
sites, only certain of the modifications will be tested. The test will 
take place at the following locations:
     Disability Determination Service Administration, Arizona 
Department of Economic Security, Suite 105, 3655 East Second Street, 
Tucson, AZ 85716;
     Disability Adjudication Section, Division of 
Rehabilitation, Clark Harrison Building, 330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, 
Decatur, GA 30030;
     Disability Determination Service, Department of Vocational 
Rehabilitation, Central Avenue, Building 1313, Tiyan, Guam 96913
     Social Security Disability Determinations Services, 
Minnesota Department of Economic Security, Suite 300 Metro Square 
Building, 121 East Seventh Place, St. Paul, MN 55101;
     Section of Disability Determinations, Missouri Department 
of Vocational Rehabilitation, 2530 I South Campbell Street, 
Springfield, MO 65807;
     Office of Disability Determinations, New York State 
Department of Social Services, 99 Washington Avenue, Room 1239, Albany, 
NY 12260; and
     Disability Determination Services, Vocational 
Rehabilitation Division, Ground Floor, 500 Summer Street, NE, Salem, OR 
97310.
    Selection of cases for testing will begin on or about October 29, 
1998, and is expected not to continue beyond December 31, 1999. If the 
Agency decides to continue case selection beyond this date, another 
notice will be published in the Federal Register to inform the public 
regarding continuation of the test.

    Dated: October 6, 1998.
Susan M. Daniels, Ph.D.,
Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-29261 Filed 10-29-98; 8:45 am]
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