[Federal Register: February 2, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 21)]
[Notices]               
[Page 5088]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02fe99-105]

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

 
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Request for Emergency Review

    In compliance with Pub. L. 104-13, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 
1995, SSA is providing notice of its information collection packages 
that require submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB).
    I. Following is a list of information collections for which we are 
seeking OMB approval.
    1. Employee Work Activity Report--0960-0483. The data collected by 
the Social Security Administration on Form SSA-3033 is reviewed and 
evaluated to determine if the claimant meets the disability 
requirements of the law, when the claimant returns to work after the 
alleged or established onset date. When a possible unsuccessful work 
attempt or nonspecific subsidy is involved (and the information cannot 
be obtained through telephone contact), Form SSA-3033 will be used to 
request a description, by mail, of the employee's work effort. The 
respondents are employers of Old-Age, Survivors and Disability 
Insurance and Supplemental Security Income disability applicants and 
beneficiaries.
    Number of Respondents: 12,500.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,125 hours.
    2. Talking and Listening to Customers (Customer Comment System)--
0960-NEW. SSA is developing a customer feedback system to capture 
customer complaints and compliments. To develop a system that is most 
useful, we need to collect opinions from all of SSA's market segments, 
including SSA customers and potential customers. SSA will conduct focus 
groups to solicit opinions on the proposed Customer Comment System. SSA 
needs this information to ensure that customer concerns and 
expectations are considered in the design of the Customer Comment 
System.
    Number of Respondents: 100.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 90 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 150 hours.
    SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden 
estimate; 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.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding these information 
collections should be sent within 60 days from the date of this 
publication, directly to the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the 
address listed at the end of the notices.
    II. The information collection listed below has been submitted to 
OMB for emergency clearance. OMB approval has been requested by 
February 19, 1998.
    0960-NEW. Pub. L. 105-277 authorizes SSA to conduct a Medicare buy-
in demonstration project to evaluate means to promote the Medicare buy-
in programs targeted to elderly and disabled individuals under titles 
XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act. A lack of awareness about the 
Medicare buy-in programs appears to be one of the major obstacles to 
enrollments. Other obstacles to enrollment include the confusion of 
potential eligibles as to how to apply for these programs and a 
preference for dealing with SSA field offices rather than with local 
Medicaid offices.
    SSA will screen respondents voluntarily for potential Medicare Part 
B buy-in eligibility using a screening guide developed for this 
purpose. The screening guide will collect information from SSA 
beneficiaries regarding income, resources, marital status and living 
arrangements and also ask questions about their awareness of Medicare 
Part B buy-in programs. SSA will gather this information to identify 
and overcome obstacles to Medicare Part B buy-in enrollments and to 
screen for potential eligibility for Medicare Part B benefits. The 
screening guide will be in use from March 1, 1999 through December 31, 
1999.
    Number of Respondents: 130,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 43,334 hours.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the emergency 
clearance should be directed to the OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports 
Clearance Officer at the following addresses:

(OMB)
Attn: Lori Schack, New Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th 
St., NW, Washington, DC 20503
(SSA)
Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. Brickenkamp, 
6401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., Baltimore, MD 21235

    You can obtain a copy of the collection instruments and/or the OMB 
clearance packages by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on 
(410) 965-4145 or by writing to him at the address listed above.

    Dated: January 27, 1999.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 99-2413 Filed 2-1-99; 8:45 am]
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