[Federal Register: December 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 246)]
[Notices]               
[Page 72134-72135]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23de99-124]                         

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

 
Testing Modifications to the Disability Determination Procedures; 
Extension of Single Decisionmaker Model and Full Process Model With 
Rationale Summary

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice of extension of tests involving a single decisionmaker 
and Full Process Model.

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SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration (SSA) is announcing the 
extension of two tests being conducted under the authority of current 
rules codified at 20 CFR 404.906 and 416.1406. These rules provide 
authority to test, individually or in any combination, several 
modifications to the disability determination procedures we normally 
follow in adjudicating claims for disability insurance benefits under 
title II of the Social Security Act (the Act) and for supplemental 
security income (SSI) payments based on disability under title XVI of 
the Act. Under these rules, SSA is testing the use of a single 
decisionmaker who may make the initial disability determination without 
requiring the signature of a medical consultant in all cases. SSA is 
also testing integrated model procedures which will focus on certain 
SSA requirements for preparing a rationale for the adjudicator's 
disability determination to see if these modifications have any effect 
on how these requirements are met.

DATES: Selection of cases to be included in these tests is being 
extended through

[[Page 72135]]

December 31, 2001. If the Agency decides to continue these tests beyond 
this date, another notice will be published in the Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Phil Landis, Social Security 
Administration, Office of Disability, 6401 Security Boulevard, 
Baltimore, Maryland 21235-6401, 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. On July 
16, 1997 (62 FR 38182-38183), we announced the locations of sites where 
we would conduct tests involving a single decisionmaker who may make 
the initial disability determination in most cases without requiring 
the signature of a medical consultant. On October 30, 1998 (63 FR 
5844), we announced the locations of sites for additional testing of 
the full process model which would focus on whether integrated model 
procedures have any effect on how the requirements for preparing a 
rationale for the disability determination are met. We are announcing 
the extension of case selection for these two tests through December 
31, 2001.
    The following is a listing of site locations at which these tests 
are being conducted:

State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 4140 Woodcock 
Drive, Dew Building, Suite 100, Jacksonville, FL 32207.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 9495 Sunset 
Drive, Sunset Square, Suite B100, Miami, FL 33173.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 3438 Lawton 
Road, Chandler Building, Suite 127, Orlando, FL 32803.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 2729 Fort Knox 
Boulevard, Building 2, Suite 300, Tallahassee, FL 32399-9994.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 2729 Fort Knox 
Boulevard, Building 2, Suite 301, Tallahassee, FL 32399-9994.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 1321 Executive 
Center Drive, Ashley Building, Suite 200, Tallahassee, FL 32399-6512.
State of Florida, Office of Disability Determinations, 3450 West Busch 
Boulevard, Buschwood Park II, Suite 395, Tampa, FL 33618.
State of Idaho, Disability Determination Services, 1505 McKinney 
Street, Boise, ID 83704.
State of Kansas, Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, 
Disability Determination Services, Docking State Office Building, Room 
1016, 915 SW Harrison Street, Topeka, KS 66612-1596.
State of Kentucky, Division of Disability Determinations, 102 Athletic 
Drive, Frankfort, KY 40602.
Social Security Administration, District Office, 1460 Newton Pike, 
Lexington, KY 40511.
State of Kentucky, Division of Disability Determinations, 7th and 
Jefferson Streets, Louisville, KY 40201.
State of Maine, Department of Human Services, Bureau of Rehabilitation, 
Disability Determination Services, Arsenal Street Extension, State 
House Station #116, Augusta, ME 04333.
State of Nevada, Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation, 
Bureau of Disability Adjudication 1050 East William Street, Room 300, 
Carson City, NV 89710.
State of North Carolina, Division of Social Services, Disability 
Determination Services, 321 Chapanoke Street, Raleigh, NC 27603.
State of Vermont, Disability Determination Services, 2 Pilgrim Park 
Road, Second Floor, Waterbury, VT 05676.
State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services, Division 
of Disability Determination Services, Airindustrial Way, Building 12, 
Tumwater, WA 98502.
State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services, Division 
of Disability Determination Services, 5221 East Third Street, Spokane, 
WA 99212.
State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services, Division 
of Disability Determination Services, 1119 SW Seventh Street, Renton, 
WA 98055.
State of West Virginia, Division of Rehabilitation Services, Disability 
Determination Section, 1206 Quarrier Street, Suite 200, Charleston, WV 
25301.
State of West Virginia, Division of Rehabilitation Services, Disability 
Determination Section, 153 West Main Street, Suite 607, Clarksburg, WV 
26301.
State of Arizona, Department of Economic Security, Disability 
Determination Service Administration, 3655 East Second Street, Suite 
105, Tucson, AZ 85716.
State of Georgia, Division of Rehabilitation, Disability Adjudication 
Section, Clark Harrison Building, 330 West Ponce de Leon Avenue, 
Decatur, GA 30030.
Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, Disability Determination 
Service, Central Avenue, Building 1313, Tiyan, Guam 96913.
State of Oregon, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Disability 
Determination Services, 500 Summer Street NE, Ground Floor, Salem, OR 
97310.
    Not all cases received in the sites listed above will be selected 
for handling under the test procedures. However, if a claim is selected 
as part of one of these tests, the claim will be handled under the 
procedures established under the final rules noted above.

    Dated: December 16, 1999.
Sue C. Davis,
Director, Disability Process Redesign Team.
[FR Doc. 99-33307 Filed 12-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P