[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 37 (Tuesday, February 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10804-10806]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03669]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No: SSA-2020-0006]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and
Comment Request
The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of
information collection packages requiring clearance by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Public Law 104-13, the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. This notice
includes revisions of OMB-approved information collections, and one new
collection.
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 ways to minimize burden
on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. Mail, email, or fax your
comments and recommendations on the information collection(s) to the
OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the following
addresses or fax numbers.
(OMB) Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, Fax:
202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].
(SSA) Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance
Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD
21235, Fax: 410-966-2830, Email address: [email protected].
Or you may submit your comments online through www.regulations.gov,
referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2020-0006].
I. The information collections below are pending at SSA. SSA will
submit them to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. To be
sure we consider your comments, we must receive them no later than
April 27, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection
instruments by writing to the above email address.
1. Agreement to Sell Property--20 CFR 416.1240-1245--0960-0127.
Individuals or couples who are otherwise eligible for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) payments, but whose resources exceed the
allowable limit, may receive conditional payments if they agree to
dispose of the excess non-liquid resources and make repayments. SSA
uses Form SSA-8060-U3 to document this agreement, and to ensure the
individuals understand their obligations. Respondents are applicants
for, and recipients of, SSI payments who will be disposing of excess
non-liquid resources.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated theoretical Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost opportunity
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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SSA-8060-U3....................................... 20,000 1 10 3,333 * 10.22 ** 34,063
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* We based this figure on average DI payments, as reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
2. Supported Employment Demonstration (SED)--0960-0806. Sponsored
by SSA, the SED builds on the success of the intervention designed for
the Mental Health Treatment Study (MHTS) previously funded by SSA. The
MHTS provides integrated mental health and vocational services to
disability beneficiaries with mental illness. The SED offers the same
services to individuals with mental illness who SSA denied Social
Security disability benefits. SSA seeks to determine whether offering
this evidence-based package of integrated vocational and mental health
services to denied disability applicants fosters employment that leads
to self-sufficiency, improved mental health and quality of life, and
reduced demand for disability benefits. The SED uses a randomized
controlled trial to compare the outcomes of two treatment groups, and a
control group. Study participation spans 36 months beginning on the day
following the date of randomization to one of the three study groups.
The SED study population consists of individuals aged 18 to 50 who
apply for disability benefits alleging a mental illness and the initial
decision is a denial of benefits in the past 60 days. The SED will
enroll up to 1,000 participants in each of the three study arms for a
total of 3,000 participants: 40 participants in each of three study
arms for the 20 urban sites equaling an n of 2,400 urban site
participants; and 20 participants in each of three arms for the 10
rural sites equaling an n of 600 rural site participants. We randomly
select and assign each enrolled participant to one of three study arms:
Full-Service Treatment (n = 1,000). The multi-component
service model from the MHTS comprises the Full-Service Treatment. At
its core are an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) supported
employment specialist and behavioral health specialist providing IPS
supported employment services integrated with behavioral health care.
Participants in the full-service treatment group will also receive the
services of a Nurse Care Coordinator who coordinates Systematic
Medication Management services, as well assistance with: Out-of-pocket
expenses associated with prescription behavioral health medications;
work-related expenses; and services and treatment not covered by the
participant's health insurance.
Basic-Service Treatment (n = 1,000). The Basic-Service
Treatment model leaves intact IPS supported employment integrated with
behavioral health services as the centerpiece of the intervention arm.
The Basic-Service Treatment is essentially the Full-Service model
without the services of the Nurse Care Coordinator, Systematic
Medication Management, and the funds associated with out-of-pocket
expenses for prescription behavioral health medications.
Usual Services (n = 1,000). This study arm represents a
control group against which the two treatment groups we can compare.
Participants assigned to this group seek services as they normally
would (or would not) in their community. However, at the time of
randomization, each Usual Service participant will receive a
comprehensive manual describing mental health and vocational services
in their locale, along with state and national resources.
This study will test the two treatment conditions against each
other and against the control group on multiple outcomes of policy
interest to SSA. The key outcomes of interest include: (1) Employment;
(2) earnings; (3) income;
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(4) mental status; (5) quality of life; (6) health services
utilization; and (7) SSA disability benefit receipt and amount. SSA is
also interested in the study take up rate (participation), knowing who
enrolls (and who does not), and fidelity to evidence-based treatments,
among other aspects of implementation. Data collection for the
evaluation of the SED will consist of the following activities:
Baseline in-person participant interviews; quarterly participant
telephone interviews; receipt of SSA administrative record data; and
collection of site-level program data. Evaluation team members will
also conduct site visits involving: (1) Pre-visit environmental scans
in order to understand the local context in which SED services are
embedded; (2) independent fidelity assessments in conjunction with
those carried out by state Mental Health/Vocational Rehabilitation
staff; (3) key informant interviews with the IPS specialist, the nurse
care coordinator, the case manager, and facility director; (4) focus
groups with participants in the Full-Service and Basic-Service
Treatment groups; and (5) ethnographic data collection consisting of
observations in the natural environment and person-centered interviews
with participants and non-participants. The respondents are study
participants and non-participants, family members, IPS specialists,
nurse care coordinators, case managers, and facility directors.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average Total
Average Estimated theoretical annual
Number of Frequency Number of burden per total hourly opportunity
Modality of completion respondents of response responses response annual cost cost
(minutes) burden amount (dollars)
(hours) (dollars) * **
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Competency and CIDI Screener................................. 1,878 1 1,878 75 2,348 * 7.50 ** 17,610
Baseline Interview........................................... 3,000 1 3,000 45 2,250 * 7.50 ** 16,875
Quarterly Interview (Quarters 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, and 3,000 9 27,000 20 9,000 * 7.50 ** 67,500
11).........................................................
Annual Interview (Quarters 4, 8, and 11)..................... 3,000 3 9,000 30 4,500 * 7.50 ** 33,750
Fidelity Assessment Participant Interview.................... 180 4 720 60 720 * 7.50 ** 5,400
Key Informant Interview...................................... 120 4 480 60 480 * 17.22 ** 8,266
Participant Focus Groups..................................... 600 2 1,200 60 1,200 * 7.50 ** 9,000
Person-Centered Interview.................................... 180 4 720 60 720 * 7.50 ** 5,400
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Totals................................................... 11,958 ........... 43,998 ........... 21,218 ........... ** 163,801
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* We based this figure on average hourly wage for disabled and social and human service workers, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding these information collections would
be most useful if OMB and SSA receive them 30 days from the date of
this publication. To be sure we consider your comments, we must receive
them no later than March 26, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the
OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
1. Statement Regarding the Inferred Death of an Individual by
Reason of Continued and Unexplained Absence--20 CFR 404.720 & 404.721--
0960-NEW. Section 202(d)-(i) of the Social Security Act (Act) provides
for the payment of various monthly survivor benefits, and a lump sum
death payment, to certain survivors upon the death of an individual who
dies while fully or currently insured. In cases where insured wage
earners have been absent from their homes for at least seven years, and
there is no evidence these individuals are alive, SSA may presume they
are deceased and pay their survivors the appropriate benefits. SSA uses
the information from Form SSA-723 to determine if we may presume a
missing wage earner is deceased, and, if so, establish a date of
presumed death. The respondents are relatives, friends, neighbors, or
acquaintances of the presumed deceased wage earner, or the person who
is filing for survivors benefits.
Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated theoretical Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost opportunity
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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SSA-723........................................... 3,000 1 30 1,500 * 22.50 ** 33,750
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* We based this figure on average U.S. citizen's hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
2. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)--Quality Review Case
Analysis--0960-0133. To assess the SSI program and ensure the accuracy
of its payments, SSA conducts legally mandated periodic SSI case
analysis quality reviews. SSA uses Form SSA-8508-BK, and the electronic
Excel application version, e8505, to conduct these reviews, collecting
information on operating efficiency; the quality of underlying
policies; and the effect of incorrect payments. SSA also uses the data
to determine SSI program payment accuracy rate, which is a performance
measure for the agency's service delivery goals. Respondents are the
recipients of SSI payments which SSA randomly selects for quality
reviews.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Average Estimated theoretical Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of burden per total annual hourly cost opportunity
respondents response response burden amount cost
(minutes) (hours) (dollars) * (dollars) **
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SSA-8508-BK (paper interview)........................... 230 1 60 230 * 10.22 ** 2,351
e8508 (electronic interview)............................ 4,370 1 60 4,370 * 10.22 ** 44,661
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Totals.............................................. 4,600 .............. .............. 4,600 .............. ** 47,012
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* We based this figure on average DI payments, as reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data.
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
respondents to complete the application.
Dated: February 19, 2020.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2020-03669 Filed 2-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P