SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (SSA)
Statement of Regulatory Priorities
We administer the Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance programs under title II of the Social Security Act (Act), the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program under title XVI of the Act, and the Special Veterans Benefits program under title VIII of the Act. As directed by Congress, we also assist in administering portions of the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Act. Our regulations codify the requirements for eligibility and entitlement to benefits and our procedures for administering these programs. Generally, our regulations do not impose burdens on the private sector or on State or local governments, except for the States' disability determination services. We fully fund the disability determination services in advance or by way of reimbursement for necessary costs in making disability determinations.
The seven entries in our regulatory plan (plan) represent issues of major importance to the Agency. We describe the individual initiatives more fully in the attached plan.
Improving the Disability Process
Since the continued improvement of the disability program is of vital concern to us, we have initiatives in the plan addressing disability-related issues. They include:
Three proposed rules update the medical listings used to determine disability-evaluating neurological impairments, malignant neoplastic diseases and human immunodeficiency virus infection for evaluating limitations in the immune system disorders. The revisions reflect our adjudicative experience and advances in medical knowledge, diagnosis, and treatment.
Another proposed rule will require our claimants to inform us or to submit all evidence known to them that relates to their disability claim.
Enhance Public Service
We will revise our rules to finalize the 12-month time limit for the withdrawal of an old-age benefits application. The final rules will permit only one withdrawal per lifetime.
We will revise our rules to protect the integrity of our programs and address public concerns regarding the removal of an administrative judge's name from the Notice of hearing and other prehearing notices.
We will finalize the rule modifying our regulations regarding Medicare Part B income-related monthly adjustment amounts in order to conform to changes made to the Social Security Act by the Affordable Care Act.
Retrospective Review of Existing Regulations
Pursuant to section 6 of Executive Order 13563 "Improving Regulation and Regulatory Review" (Jan. 18, 2011), the following Regulatory Identifier Numbers (RINs) have been identified as associated with retrospective review and analysis in our final retrospective review of regulations plan. Some of these entries on this list may be completed actions, which do not appear in The Regulatory Plan. However, you can find more information about these completed rulemakings in past publications of the Unified Agenda on Reginfo.gov in the Completed Actions section for that agency. You can also find these rulemakings on Regulations.gov. The agency final plans are located at: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/open/regsreview/EO-13563-Final-Plan.html.
RIN |
Title |
Expected to Significantly Reduce Burdens on Small Businesses |
0960-AF35 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Neurological Impairments |
No |
0960-AF58 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Respiratory System Disorders |
No |
0960-AF69 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Mental Disorders |
No |
0960-AF88 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Hematological Disorders |
No |
0960-AG21 |
New Medical Criteria for Evaluating Language and Speech Disorders |
No |
0960-AG28 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Growth Impairments |
No |
0960-AG38 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Musculoskeletal Disorders |
No |
0960-AG65 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Digestive Disorders |
No |
0960-AG71 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Immune (HIV) System Disorders |
No |
0960-AG74 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Cardiovascular Disorders |
No |
0960-AG91 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Skin Disorders |
No |
0960-AH03 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Genitourinary Disorders |
No |
0960-AH04 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Congenital Disorders That Affect Multiple Body Systems |
No |
0960-AH28 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Visual Disorders |
No |
0960-AH43 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Cancer (Malignant Neoplastic Diseases) |
No |
0960-AH54 |
Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Hearing Loss and Disturbances of Labyrinthine-Vestibular Function |
No |