The Social Security Administration is planning to update and revise the rules used to evaluate neurological disorders in both adults and children who apply for, or receive, Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments based on disability. Before revising the rules, the Administration is asking interested people and organizations to send their comments and suggestions. Comments must be received no later than June 13, 2005.
In Mid-April the Social Security Association published an “Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” (ANPRM) that invites all interested people and organizations to send comments and suggestions for updating and revising the rules used to evaluate neurological disorders in both adults and children. An electronic version of this Notice is available here.
This is an opportunity for individuals who apply for, or receive, Social Security disability benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments because of a neurological disability to voice their opinion.
Contact the SSA before June 13, 2005 if you
* have concerns about any of the current neurological listings for adults or children; such as whether you think the Administration should change any of their criteria or whether you think a listing is difficult to use or understand.
* would like to see the Administration’s neurological listings include something that they do not include now.
* think it would be beneficial to change the current disease-specific listing format to a more inclusive category format such as “Vascular disorders,” “Demyelinating disorders,” and “Movement disorders.”
* think these 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.
* are aware of criteria the Administration should use to define disabling epilepsy at the listing level.