[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 218 (Monday, November 10, 2008)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 66563-66564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26682]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

20 CFR Parts 404, 405, and 416

[Docket No. SSA-2007-0053]


Compassionate Allowances for Brain Injuries; Office of the 
Commissioner, Hearing

AGENCY: Social Security Administration (SSA).

ACTION: Announcement of Public Hearing.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are considering ways to quickly identify diseases and other 
serious medical conditions that obviously meet the definition of 
disability under the Social Security Act (Act) and can be identified 
with minimal objective medical information. We are calling this method 
``Compassionate Allowances.'' In December 2007 and April 2008, we held 
two Compassionate Allowance public hearings. These hearings concerned 
rare diseases and cancers, respectively. This hearing is the third in 
the series. The purpose of this hearing is to obtain your views about 
the advisability and possible methods of identifying and implementing 
compassionate allowances for children and adults with brain injuries. 
We plan to address other medical conditions at subsequent hearings.

DATES: This hearing will be held on November 18, 2008, between 8:30 
a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), at Ft. Myer, VA. The 
hearing will be held at 204 Lee Avenue, Ft. Myer, VA, 22211-1199, at 
the Ft. Myer Officers Club. While the public is welcome to attend the 
hearing, only invited witnesses will be permitted to participate. Ft. 
Myer is open to members of the public willing to undergo security 
screening. You may also watch the proceedings live via webcast 
beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). You may access the 
webcast for the hearing on the Social Security Administration Web page 
at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances/hearings1108.htm.

ADDRESSES: You may submit up to two pages of written comments about the 
compassionate allowances initiative with respect to children and adults 
with brain injuries, as well as topics covered at the hearing by: (1) 
E-mail addressed to [email protected] or (2) mail to 
Diane Braunstein or Nancy Schoenberg, Office of Compassionate 
Allowances and Disability Outreach, ODP, ORDP, Social Security 
Administration, 4671 Annex, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 
21235-6401.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: [email protected]. You 
may also mail inquiries about this meeting to Diane Braunstein or Nancy 
Schoenberg, Office of Compassionate Allowances and Disability Outreach, 
ODP, ORDP, Social Security Administration, 4671 Annex, 6401 Security 
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. For information on eligibility or 
filing for benefits, call our national toll-free number 1-800-772-1213 
or TTY 1-800-325-0778, or visit our Internet site, Social Security 
Online, at http://www.socialsecurity.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Under titles II and XVI of the Act, we pay benefits to individuals 
who meet our rules for entitlement and have medically determinable 
physical or mental impairments that are severe enough to meet the 
definition of disability in the Act. The rules for determining 
disability can be very complicated, but some individuals have such 
serious medical conditions that their conditions obviously meet our 
disability standards. To better address the needs of these individuals, 
we are implementing the Compassionate Allowance initiative to quickly 
identify

[[Page 66564]]

diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the 
Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information.

Will We Respond to Your Comments?

    We will carefully consider your comments, although we will not 
respond directly to comments sent in response to this notice or the 
hearing.

Additional Hearings

    We held a hearing on rare diseases on December 4 and 5, 2007, and a 
hearing on cancers on April 7, 2008. You may access the transcripts of 
both hearings at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances. 
We plan to hold additional hearings on other conditions and will 
announce those hearings later with notices in the Federal Register.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 96.001, Social 
Security--Disability Insurance; 96.006, Supplemental Security 
Income. (72 Fed. Reg. at 62608)).

    Dated: November 3, 2008.
Michael J. Astrue,
Commissioner of Social Security.
 [FR Doc. E8-26682 Filed 11-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P