Articles from prior issues of The Advocate

January/February, 1999

NADE Correspondence


SOCIAL SECURITY

Mr. Jeffrey H. Price
President
NADE
P.O. Box 243
Raleigh, NC 27602

Dear Mr. Price:

Thank you for your comments on the August Disability Hearing Process Workgroup (DHPW) report and our Disability Determination
Services (DDS) Administrators’ Letter, dated September 30, 1998.

We appreciate your concerns regarding the disability hearing officer (DHO) process. And, we appreciate the results of the study that
you attached. As you know, we chaired the August workgroup to focus on effective ways to work the increasing number of pending
DHO hearings, such as processing efficiencies and best practices. The DHPW also looked at changes that would improve the DHO
process and productivity, without undermining the integrity and quality of the process.

Many of the issues you mentioned, such as revising the SSA-789 and SSA-1207, are already being addressed by the DHPW. For
those issues that were not addressed by the DHPW, or by my staff, we will include them for consideration by the DHPW, or by my
staff. For example, we will look into revising the SSA-2460. And, we are developing a DHO quality review process. We have already
started to look into a possible change to stop benefit continuation payments if the claimant fails to cooperate. However, this is a long
term issue and would need a regulation change.

You also discussed several other issues, such as eliminating some sequential steps in cessations and unsuccessful work attempt
instructions, that are outside the DHO area. These were referred to my staff for consideration.

We are very committed to resolving the DHO issues and concerns and we appreciate your input.

Again, thank you for your interest in the DHO process.

Sincerely,

Kenneth D. Nibali
Associate Commissioner for Disability