Effective Date: January 11, 2006
(71 F.R. 1811)
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
SYSTEM NUMBER: 60-0046
System name:
Disability Determination Services Consultant File, Social Security Administration, Office of Disability Determinations.
Security classification:
None.
System Location:
Offices of State Disability Determination Services (DDS) may currently maintain this type of file. Contact the system manager at the address below or access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_b.htm for the name and address of each State DDS and the Federal Disability Determination Services (FDDS).
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
Physicians who have expressed a willingness to conduct consultative examinations for the DDS and, in some instances, other physicians with whom the DDS has contact. The latter are usually treating physicians. This file also includes, but is not limited to, psychologists, social workers, nurses, audiologists and vocational consultants who express a willingness to conduct some type of consultative service for the DDS.
Categories of records in the system:
Information relative to a consultant's specialty, past experience as to the promptness with which reports are submitted, general thoroughness of reports, fees received, etc., and perhaps comments on the consultant's own preferences (such as appointment hours, etc.).
Authority for maintenance of the system:
5 U.S.C. 301, 30 U.S.C. 923(b), and sections 221 and 1633 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 421 and 1383b).
Purpose(s):
DDS personnel use this information in the selection of a consultant when additional medical or vocational evidence is needed for claims under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosure may be made for routine uses as indicated below. However, disclosure of any information defined as ``return or return information'' under 26 U.S.C. 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code will not be disclosed unless authorized by a statute, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or IRS regulations.
1. To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from the office made at the request of the subject of a record.
2. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court or other tribunal, or another party before such tribunal when:
(a) The Social Security Administration (SSA), or any component thereof; or
(b) Any SSA employee in his/her official capacity; or
(c) Any SSA employee in his/her individual capacity where DOJ (or SSA where it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the employee; or
(d) the United States or any agency thereof where SSA determines that the litigation is likely to affect the operations of SSA or any of its components, is a party to litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and SSA determines that the use of such records by DOJ, a court or other tribunal, or another party before such tribunal, is relevant and necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that in each case, SSA determines that such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
3. To contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the efficient administration of its programs. We will disclose information under this routine use only in situations in which SSA may enter into a contractual or similar agreement with a third party to assist in accomplishing an agency function relating to this system of records.
4. To the General Services Administration and the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) under 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906, as amended by the NARA Act of 1984, information which is not restricted from disclosure by Federal law for the use of those agencies in conducting records management studies.
5. To student volunteers, individuals working under a personal services contract, and other workers who technically do not have the status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for the Social Security Administration (SSA), as authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable information in SSA records in order to perform their assigned Agency functions.
6. To the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to any State, the Commissioner shall disclose any record or information requested in writing by the Secretary for the purpose of administering any program administered by the Secretary, if records or information of such type were so disclosed under applicable rules, regulations and procedures in effect before the date of enactment of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining, and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Each DDS maintains its own records and the method of storage may vary from State to State and within the FDDS. Generally, the information is on a file card maintained in a standard card file cabinet. However, some States may use an automated format.
Retrievability:
Records are retrieved by consultant's surname.
Safeguards:
Only authorized SSA and DDS personnel have access to these records. Personal information other than the name of the consultant is subject to the disclosure restrictions of 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6), 21 U.S.C. 1175, and 42 U.S.C. 1306. Access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_g.htm for additional information relating to SSA data security measures.
Retention and disposal:
DDS policy as to retention and disposal varies from State to State and within the FDDS, but generally, the file is destroyed upon death, retirement or relocation of the consultant.
System manager(s) and address(es):
Social Security Administration
Associate Commissioner
Office of Disability Determinations
Notification procedures:
An individual can determine if this system contains a record about him/her by providing name and address to the DDS Administrator, c/o the State in which he or she resides and/or information is likely to be maintained (contact the system manager at the address above or access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_b.htm for address information).
An individual requesting notification of records in person should provide the same information, as well as provide an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver's license or some other means of identification. If an individual does not have any identification documents sufficient to establish his/her identity, the individual must certify in writing that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
If notification is requested by telephone, an individual must verify his/her identity by providing identifying information that parallels information in the record to which notification is being requested. If it is determined that the identifying information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be required to submit a request in writing or in person. If an individual is requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the subject individual must be connected with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and the requesting individual in the same phone call. SSA will establish the subject individual's identity (his/her name, Social Security number, address, date of birth and place of birth, along with one other piece of information, such as mother's maiden name) and ask for his/her consent in providing information to the requesting individual.
If a request for notification is submitted by mail, an individual must include a notarized statement to SSA to verify his/her identity or must certify in the request that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c)).
Record access procedures:
Same as Notification procedures. Requesters also should reasonably specify the record contents being sought. These access procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c)).
Contesting record procedures:
Same as Notification procedures. Requesters also should reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are contesting and the corrective action sought, and the reasons for the correction, with supporting justification showing how the record is incomplete, untimely, inaccurate or irrelevant. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.65(a)).
Record source categories:
Information is obtained mostly from the consultant. Observations of DDS personnel about the consultant, such as the individual's general promptness in filing reports, may occasionally be found in a consultant's file.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Privacy Act:
None.