[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 26, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 81553-81554]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-32833]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Modifications to the Disability Determination Procedures; 
Disability Claims Process Redesign Prototype

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of revision to the disability prototype in the State of 
New York.

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SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration is announcing a revision to 
the disability prototype in the State of New York. The test will be 
performed in those locations in the State of New York, listed below, 
that are not already processing cases under the disability prototype. 
In addition, the test will measure the operational impact of modifying 
the process by ``grandfathering'' pending initial claims in the 
additional locations into the prototype process.

DATES: Selection of cases to be included in this test will begin on 
January 2, 2001 in one location, and on April 2, 2001 in the other 
locations, according to the schedule outlined under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION. Case selection is expected to end on or about December 31, 
2001. If the Agency decides to continue the test beyond this date, we 
will publish another notice in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phil Landis, Director, Disability 
Process Redesign Staff, Office of Disability, Social Security 
Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235, (410) 
965-5388.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Current rules codified at 20 CFR 404.906 and 
416.1406 authorize us to test modifications to the disability 
determination procedures individually or in any combination. Under this 
authority, several tests have been conducted, including a prototype 
that incorporates several modifications to the disability determination 
procedures employed by State disability determination services (DDS) 
which have been shown to be effective in earlier tests. (64 FR 47218.) 
The prototype incorporates a series of changes that improve the initial 
disability determination process by: Providing greater decisional 
authority to the disability examiner and making more effective use of 
the expertise of the medical consultant; ensuring appropriate 
development and explanation of key issues; increasing opportunities for 
claimant interaction with the decision maker before a determination is 
made; and simplifying the appeals process by eliminating the 
reconsideration step. When we started the prototype on October 1, 1999, 
we applied the modified process only to claims filed on or after 
October 1, 1999 in certain States, or parts of States. With respect to 
claims in the State of New York, we announced that only applicants 
whose initial disability claims were processed by certain branches of 
the DDS in New York would participate in the prototype. The Federal 
Register notice listed those branches of the DDS in New York where the 
prototype would be applied. (64 FR at 47219.)
    We are now announcing that we will test the prototype process in 
the remaining branches of the DDS in New York, and in addition test the 
effect of ``grandfathering'' pending claims in those branches into the 
modified process in the remaining branches of the DDS in New York. 
``Grandfathering'' means that, in addition to following the modified 
processes for claims filed on or after a certain date, we will follow 
the modified process for initial claims filed before that date if the 
disability determination forms that we use to have the State agency 
certify the determination of disability to us have not been signed by a 
disability examiner and, if applicable, by a medical or

[[Page 81554]]

psychological consultant by that date. Thus, in this test, we will 
apply the modified processes to: (1) New initial claims filed on or 
after the controlling date (see below), and (2) initial claims that are 
filed before that date but for which the disability determination forms 
we use to have the State agency certify the disability determination 
have not been signed by a disability examiner and, if applicable, by a 
medical or psychological consultant as of that date. We will send a 
letter explaining the process modifications to individuals whose 
pending claims are grandfathered into the modified process.
    This means that the modified processes, including the opportunity 
for a claimant conference with the decision maker and elimination of 
the reconsideration step of the administrative review process, will be 
used for pending initial claims, resulting in fewer reconsideration 
claims flowing to the test site after the modified process is 
implemented. We believe this change will provide us with information 
that will enable us to manage the transition to the modified process 
more effectively and result in better service for all disability 
applicants. In order to measure the effect of this change on our 
operations, we will begin to follow the modified process in the 
following locations beginning on the date indicated for each location:

State of New York

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Disability 
Determinations, Region III, 22 Cortlandt Street, 6th Floor, New York, 
New York 10007-3107. Controlling date: January 2, 2001.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Disability 
Determinations, Region I, 22 Cortlandt Street, 4th Floor, New York, New 
York 10007-3107. Controlling date: April 2, 2001.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Disability 
Determinations, Region IV, 92-31 Union Hall Street, 6th Floor, Jamaica, 
New York, 11433-1127. Controlling date: April 2, 2001.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Disability 
Determinations, Region V, Building #16, 3rd Floor, Glendale Technology 
Park Endicott, New York 13760. Controlling date: April 2, 2001.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Division of Disability 
Determinations, Region VII, Building #16, 2nd Floor, Glendale 
Technology Park Endicott, New York 13760. Controlling date: April 2, 
2001.
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, Office of Disability 
Determinations--Region IX, Ellicott Square Building, Room 650, 295 Main 
Street, Buffalo, New York 14203-2412. Controlling date: April 2, 2001.

    Dated: December 18, 2000.
Glenna K. Donnelly,
Assistant Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security 
Programs.
[FR Doc. 00-32833 Filed 12-22-00; 8:45 am]
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