AllVocational RehabilitationCall Minutes

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

3 p.m. EST

Call In Number: 800.480.6924

Conference ID: 40650673

Welcome and Speaker’s Introduction

Dan O’ Brien, Office of Employment Support Programs, Social Security

Opening Comments

Nate Arnold

  • Monthly Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Call - The overwhelming response from the State Vocational (VR) agencies was to continue the monthly State VR agency calls.
  • Partnership Plus Team – There have been some staffing changes within the Operations Support Manager (OSM) Partnership Plus team.The Social Security Administration will provide an update on the changes during the Novembercall. In the meantime, please send your questions or concerns to .

Updates

Nate Arnold, Ana Morales, Michelle Laisure

Cost Reimbursement

  • For Fiscal Year 2012, Cost Reimbursement (CR) payments were up $6 million over the prior year nationally.
  • The volume of receipts continues to be well above the pace of the previous year. Approximately 36% higher than Fiscal Year 2011.
  • There is a small temporary backlog in processing CR claims and Social Securityplans to be current very soon.
  • The CR pipeline is “full.” This, combined with initiatives such as the Vocational Rehabilitation Earnings Alert Report (VEAR), should lead to further CR increases for FY 2013.

Electronic filing

  • September 2012 – All but seven agencies reported during the month. The non-reporters are VR agencies thathistorically do not file claims. This does not mean that we will give up trying to get 100% reporting. Everyone is doing a great job.
  • Case closures – Social Security would like to remind providers to report case closures as close to the actual date as possible so that tickets can be freed up and available for assignment to Employment Networks (EN) for on-going supports.
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Time period to submit questions regardingelectronic filing to OSM was extended through close of business on Friday October 12, 2012. FAQs will be posted on the website.
  • OSMannounced that there is a delay in processing themonthly files, due to large data files received from Social Security. OSM is currently working on files from September 27 – 28, and the first week of October.This backlog is being addressed.

Vocational Rehabilitation Earnings Alert Report (VEAR)

  • Seventy State VR agencies received the VEAR mid-September 2012. The report includedall In-Use cases that were closed (either employed or unemployed) andreflects earnings that were at Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) or above since July 2008.
  • The reports were sent to State VR agencies via MOVEit Xchange Secure File Transfer System or a password protected WinZip file. These reports included the cleanup files submitted in March 2012.
  • The second VEAR is planned for mid-November. These reports will not include the cleanup files (exception files).
  • The third VEAR report will be released in February 2013 and will only be available to the State VR agencies that are reporting to OSM regularly and will be available through the Secure Provider Portal.

Question and Answer Session

Q. Oregon VR requested the full VEAR report with all beneficiaries and wanted to know when report will be received.

A. OSM Systems Department is currently working on the report and you should receive it soon.

Q. What if additional states want to request the full VEAR report?

A. State VRagencies can request the full VEAR report by sending an email to .

Q. How are payment requests handled for ticket payments when a VR submits Unemployment Insurance (UI) data?

A. Social Security is going to review the issue that affects the 14 states that act as ENs and will address it on the October 24, 2012, call.

Q. What consumers are included on the VEAR report?

A. Cost Reimbursement cases that were closed either employed or unemployed. Earnings go back to July 2008. Earnings had to be at SGA or above.The September VEAR included information in the database but also cleanup files.

Q. When a VR submits a Cost Reimbursement claim, how do we get confirmation?

A. State VR agencies can send an email to .

Q. How is the full VEAR different than the September report?

A. The September report included cases most likely to be paid. The full VEAR includes everything. Remember that State VR agencies will still need to do additional research before submitting a claim, the VEAR is just an earnings alert.

Q. Is there a delay in getting confirmation on 1365s, and rejection letters from unassignments?

A. A Social Security project has delayed the processing of Individual Work Plans (IWP), 1365s, and unassignments. OSM is working to catch up in the next two weeks.

Q. We do not have any additional earnings information except for Unemployment Insurance (UI) data. How do we get additional resources or documentation?

A. State VR agencies can submit VEAR data for Cost Reimbursement claims as evidence.

Q. A State VR agencyis able to submit Cost Reimbursements for open cases. Will it be included in future VEARs?

A. Right now we are only processing closed cases, but Social Security will look into the question.

Q. Is the mid-November VEAR not going to include the cleanup files?

A. Correct

Gather Place Chat

Q. In regards to the electronic files, with the cleanup files, we were told to not submit code 1, 3, and 8s with Individual Plan for Employment (IPE) dates before 4/1/2012. The help desk said now submit all 1, 3, and 8s each month. Which is correct?

A.Originally, State VR agencies were instructed to not resubmit 1, 3, and 8s because all the cleanup files were included in the exception file. OSM was instructed to use different rules when placing tickets In-Use SVR, 90-day rule or previous month rule.More recently, Social Security clarified the policy that if State VR agency is reporting monthly, there will be no negative effects on their Cost Reimbursement therefore it is okay to resend codes 1, 3 and 8s.OSM is tracking two separate dates when processing the electronic files–the IPE date, which is used for In-Use SVR date, and the date the file was received, which will be used for Cost Reimbursement purposes if a State VR agency is not in compliance with monthly reporting.

Q. Can someone speak about how the BOND program will affect Cost Reimbursement for states?

A.The potential impact of the BOND program on CR payments seems to be very slight. We will discuss this with BOND staff and will provide an answer in the near future. If appropriate, we will also consider having BOND staff explain the program on a future call.

Q. Nate mentioned staffing changes in the Partnership Plus team. Can you please tell us what those changes are and who was affected?

A. Social Security will be reviewing the changes and provide an update on the next call.

Q. Is the VEAR still on track to be considered verifiable information starting with November?

A. Not at this time.

Q.Is there any more talk about granting a timely waiver for VEAR report claims? Or has that been squashed? We are seeing a lot of claims that are too late to claim on the VEAR report?

A. At this time, there are no plans to grant a Timely Filing waiver for VEAR claims.

Q.What is the qualification for the work number?

A. Reply from a peer VR:I can send you the info that I got from them...will send it via email. We are still considering it but know there would be a charge.

A. Reply from a peer VR: We (Colorado DVR) have the work number at no cost. We just signed up as Social Service Verifiers.

Next All State VR agency Call:

November 13, 2012

3 p.m. EST

Call-in number: 800.480.6924

Conference ID: 40650674