Social Security Administration November 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act, as amended, this notice announces new matching program with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This agreement establishes the terms, and conditions, and safeguards under which CMS will disclose to SSA certain individuals' admission and discharge information for care received in a nursing care facility. SSA will use this data to administer the Supplemental Security Income program efficiently and to identify Special Veterans' Benefits beneficiaries who are no longer residing outside of the United States.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, we are issuing public notice of our intent to establish a new system of records entitled, Security and Suitability Files (60-0377). This notice publishes details of the new system as set forth under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

We propose to revise our rules to explain that the agency retains the right to determine how parties and witnesses will appear at a hearing before an administrative law judge (ALJ) at the hearing level of our administrative review process, and we will set the time and place for the hearing accordingly. We also propose to revise our rules to explain the State agency or the Associate Commissioner for Disability Determinations, or his or her delegate, will determine how parties and witnesses will appear, and will set the time and place for a hearing, before a disability hearing officer (DHO) at the reconsideration level in continuing disability review (CDR) cases. At both levels, we propose to schedule the parties to a hearing to appear by video teleconference (VTC), in person, or, in limited circumstances, by telephone. We propose that parties to a hearing will not have the option to opt out of appearing by the manner of hearing we choose. We also propose rules that explain how we will determine the manner of a party's or a witness's appearance. We expect these proposed changes would improve our service to the public by increasing the efficiency of our hearings processes and reducing the amount of time it takes us to schedule and hold hearings.

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) changed the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) ranges associated with Medicare Part B and Medicare prescription drug coverage premiums for years beginning in 2018. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (BBA 2018) revised the MAGI ranges again for years beginning with 2019. We consider a beneficiary's MAGI and tax filing status to determine: The percentage of the unsubsidized Medicare Part B premium that the beneficiary must pay; and the percentage of the cost of basic Medicare prescription drug coverage the beneficiary must pay. This final rule makes our regulations consistent with the MAGI ranges specified by MACRA and BBA 2018.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, we are issuing public notice of our intent to modify an existing system of records entitled, Assignment and Correspondence Tracking (ACT) System (60-0001), last published in full on January 11, 2006. This notice publishes details of the proposed updates as set forth below under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

In accordance with the Privacy Act, we are issuing public notice of our intent to modify our existing systems of records listed below under the System Name and Number section. This notice publishes details of the modification as set forth under the caption, SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.