these are very technical in nature. i hope the
ordinary person can make sense of them and comment.


--- Elizabeth Thiers <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> For your information, feel free to forward.
>
> Beth T. the OT
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-sis Listmanager
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Wednesday, June 08, 2005 4:02 PM
> To: Recipients of 'phys-sis' suppressed
> Subject: Request for Comments on SSA Disability
> Listings
>
> From: "Leslie     Jackson                       "
> <[log in to unmask]   >
>
> To reply: mailto:[log in to unmask]
> To start a new topic:
> mailto:[log in to unmask] To (un)subscribe:
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>
-----------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I apologize for the last minute notice, but wanted
> to make sure you all knew
> about an effort by the Social Security
> Administration (SSA) to revise some
> of it's impairment listings for determining
> disability for Social Security
> and SSI. The Listing is a very important part of the
> disability
> determination process because if a person can
> establish that his/her
> condition meets the requirements of a listed
> impairment (and the person is
> not working and earning over $830 per month in
> 2005), SSA will find the
> person eligible for benefits.  Others whose
> conditions are found not to meet
> the listing are not denied at that stage but instead
> have to go on to prove
> that their condition is medically equivalent to the
> listed impairment or
> that, even though they don't meet or equal the
> listing, based on their age,
> education and work experience, their medical
> condition(s) makes it
> impossible for them to engage in substantial gainful
> activity.
>
> SSA is in the process of reviewing and updating the
> various listings.  This
> process of issuing advanced notices of proposed
> rulemaking is relatively new
> to SSA - it gives the public a chance to weigh in
> about concerns with
> specific listings before SSA staff issue the notice
> of proposed rulemaking.
> It is important to take these notices seriously and
> to see them as an
> important opportunity to inform SSA about concerns
> with a particular listing
> and whether it currently works, where the problems
> are, and to answer other
> questions SSA asks in the notices.
>
> In each case, both ADULT and CHILD listings are
> under review.  Each notice
> is impairment-specific and comments from medical
> experts and consumers will
> be very important. The notices cover the following
> four areas:
>
> 1. Neurological impairments
>
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.go
> v/2005/pdf/05-7357.pdf) - Listing sections 11.00 and
> 111.00 (In addition to
> general questions, there is a specific question
> about criteria SSA should
> use to define disabling epilepsy at the listing
> level; there also is a
> question about whether the neurological listings
> "should continue to include
> functional criteria that consider all aspects of
> listed neurological
> impairments such as motor and sensory deficits,
> cognitive/behavioral
> abnormalities, speech/language limitations, and
> vision/hearing losses." And,
> there is specific reference to a publication on
> criteria for determining
> disability related to multiple sclerosis.)
>
> 2. Language and speech disorders
>
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.go
> v/2005/pdf/05-7356.pdf) - Here, SSA is asking
> whether they should create a
> new body system in the listings that covers language
> and speech disorders.
>
> 3. Respiratory impairments
>
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.go
> v/2005/pdf/05-7358.pdf) - Listing sections 3.00 and
> 103.00 (In addition to
> general questions, there are specific questions
> about criteria that SSA may
> want to incorporate to define disabling asthma at
> the listing level and also
> disabling bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BDP) at the
> listing level.)
>
> 4. Hearing impairments and disturbance of
> labyrinthine-vestibular function
>
(http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.go
> v/2005/pdf/05-7355.pdf)- Listing sections 2.00 and
> 102.00 (Here, SSA asks
> whether they should continue to have these listings
> and, if so, whether
> changes are needed. Also, are there criteria that
> are not included now but
> should be?  SSA asks whether there should be
> separate criteria for
> individuals who have had cochlear implants? Should
> there be a listing for
> disturbance of labyrinthine-vestibular function in
> children?)
>
>
> In addition, for each of these four notices there
> are questions related to
> how SSA could better help people with these specific
> impairments who want to
> return to work or remain working.
>
>
> What information is SSA looking for?
>
> In each of the advanced notice of proposed rule
> making (ANPRM), SSA is
> seeking views on how the current listing is working,
> whether changes are
> needed, and, if so, what changes are proposed and
> why. In addition to the
> focus on the specific listing in each of the
> advanced notices, SSA is for
> information that goes beyond the listing, seeking
> information and
> recommendations about how Social Security and SSI
> could be better designed
> to help people with the specific impairment who
> would like to return to work
> or remain in their jobs.  SSA asks how their
> regulations (and the statute,
> should the commenter want to suggest statutory
> changes) affect people with
> the impairment who would like to work, full-time or
> part-time, with
> supports.
>
> You can post your comment on SSA's website at
> http://policy.ssa.gov/pnpublic.nsf/LawsRegs. Click
> on the section on notices
> that are open for comment. The list of notices will
> come up. Click on the
> relevant notice. When you get to the page with the
> relevant notice, at the
> very bottom on the left, there is a little triangle
> - if you click on it, it
> will point down and you can then view below it any
> comments that have been
> filed.  On the same page, there is a place to click
> to submit your comment
> as well.
>
> Don't worry if you can not respond to this advanced
> notice - there will be
> another opportunity for comment when SSA issues its
> proposed rules.  AOTA
> will let you know when the proposed rules have been
> published.
> Leslie Jackson
>




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