Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2000/04/17/00-9516/determining-disability
Timestamp: 2017-06-23 19:14:38
Document Index: 663301913

Matched Legal Cases: ['§\u2009220', 'art 220', 'art1', 'art 220', '§\u2009220', 'art2', '§\u2009220']

:: Determining Disability
A Rule by the Railroad Retirement Board on 04/17/2000
20371-20372
00-9516
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/00-9516
Secretary to the Board, Railroad Retirement Board, 844 North Rush Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Marguerite P. Dadabo, Senior Attorney, (312) 751-4945, TDD (312) 751-4701.
The Board conducts continuing disability reviews (CDRs) to determine whether or not a disability annuitant continues to meet the disability requirements contained in the Railroad Retirement Act and, in some cases, the Social Security Act. Payment of cash benefits based on disability ends if the medical or other evidence shows that the annuitant is no longer disabled under the standards set out in the Railroad Retirement Act or, for some benefits, the Social Security Act. Section 220.186 of the regulations of the Board provides when and how often the Board will conduct a CDR. This rulemaking would amend § 220.186(d) to discontinue the Board's current policy of conducting a CDR in cases where medical improvement is not expected (MINE). The current regulation requires a review no less frequently than once every 7 years but no more frequently than once every 5 years in MINE cases. The Board's CDR of MINE cases has not proved cost effective. For fiscal years 1995 through 1997 the Board conducted 552 MINE exams; however, in only 1 case did the evidence merit termination of the annuity. For fiscal years 1998 and 1999, 300 MINE reviews were conducted with no annuity terminations. Such results, in the Board's view, do not justify continuation of this program. Consequently, the Board proposes to cease routine continuing disability review in these cases. The cessation will be of routine reviews only. These cases Start Printed Page 20372will still be reviewed for continuing eligibility: If the beneficiary returns to work and successfully completes a trial work period; if substantial earnings are posted to the beneficiary's earnings record; or if information is received either from the annuitant or a reliable source that the annuitant has recovered or returned to work, or that a review is otherwise warranted.
Start Amendment PartFor the reasons set out in the preamble, the Railroad Retirement Board amends title 20, chapter II, part 220 of the Code of Federal Regulations as follows:End Amendment Part
Start Amendment Part1. The authority citation for part 220 continues to read as follows:End Amendment Part
§ 220.186 When and how often the Board will conduct a continuing disability review. [Amended]
Start Amendment Part2. In § 220.186, paragraph (b)(2), remove the phrase “(medical improvement possible or medical improvement not expected)”, and paragraph (d), remove the fourth sentence which reads: “If the annuitant's disability is considered permanent, the Board will review the annuitant's continuing eligibility for benefits no less frequently than once every 7 years but no more frequently than once every 5 years.”, and add in its place “If no medical improvement is expected in the annuitant's impairment(s), the Board will not routinely review the annuitant's continuing eligibility.”End Amendment Part
For the Board. Beatrice Ezerski,