New Ruling On Opinions From "Not Acceptable" Sources

Today's Federal Register contains Social Security Ruling 06-03p, concerning opinion evidence from what Social Security terms "not acceptable" medical sources, such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants, licensed clinical social workers, naturopaths, chiropractors, audiologists, therapists and teachers, used in determining disability. The Ruling indicates that opinions from such sources can be valuable evidence, which might outweigh the opinion of an "acceptable" medical source in certain circumstances. This Ruling may be especially useful in disability claims where the claimant has been seeing primarily a nurse practicioner, physician assistant or mental health therapist.

New Regulations On SSI Income And Resources

The Social Security Administration has amended its regulations on SSI income and resources based upon the Social Security Protection Act of 2004. The changes are non-controversial.

Forthcoming Ruling Alert

Social Security has filed a new ruling to be published in the Federal Register tomorrow, which might be significant. The text is not yet available. Here is the description from the Office of Federal Register.

Social security rulings and acquiescence rulings:

Disability claims; consideration of opinions and other evidence from non-acceptable medical sources

New FEDRO Job Announcement

Social Security has posted a new job announcement for Federal Reviewing Officers (FEDROs). The announcement indicates only that there are "many vacancies."

Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty To Social Security Fraud

The Daily Iberian reports that Louis Wilkerson of New Iberia, LA pleaded guilty to Social Security fraud for failing to report that he was working while drawing Social Security disability benefits.

International Update

Social Security's Office of Policy has published its International Update for July, 2006. The Update gives information about Social Security developments in other countries.

NADE Releases Newsletter

The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE), an association of disability examiners who work for state disability determination agencies, has released its Summer 2006 Newsletter. The Newsletter contains a good deal of detail about the Disability Service Improvement (DSI) experiment.

SSA Chief Actuary Opposes Accrual Accounting

USA Today reports that Social Security's Chief Actuary, Stephen Goss, has come out against accrual accounting for Social Security. Under accrual accounting Social Security's future obligations would have to be shown on government accounting reports, much as private corporations include their own future obligations to their retirees in their financial reports. Some accountants are recommending accrual accounting for Social Security. Part of this may simply a desire for higher accounting standards, but others seem to have an ulterior motive of making Social Security seem dangerously unstable. The Bush Administration opposes accrual accounting for Social Security.