Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 2.djvu/689

 PUBLIC LAW 101-508 —NOV. 5, 1990 104 STAT. 1388-281 Security Act or benefits under section 202 of such Act based on such individual's own disability. (b) MATTERS TO BE DETERMINED.— In the course of each demonstration project conducted under this section, the Secretary shall determine the following: (1) the extent to which disabled beneficiaries participate in the process of selecting providers of rehabilitation services, and their reasons for participating or not participating; (2) notable characteristics of participating disabled beneficiaries (including their impairments), classified by the type of provider selected; (3) the various needs for rehabilitation demonstrated by participating disabled beneficiaries, classified by the type of provider selected; (4) the extent to which providers of rehabilitation services which are not agencies or instrumentalities of States accept referrals of disabled beneficiaries under procedures in effect under section 222(d) of the Social Security Act as of the date of the enactment of this Act relating to reimbursement for such services and the most effective way of reimbursing such providers in accordance with such provisions; (5) the extent to which providers participating in the demonstration projects enter into contracts with third parties for T' services and the types of such services; (6) whether, and if so the extent to which, disabled beneficiaries who select their own providers of rehabilitation services are more likely to engage in substantial gainful activity and thereby terminate their entitlement under section 202 or 223 of the Social Security Act than those who do not; (7) the cost effectiveness of permitting disabled beneficiaries to select their providers of vocational rehabilitation services, and the comparative cost effectiveness of different types of providers; and (8) the feasibility of establishing a permanent national program for allowing disabled beneficiaries to choose their own qualified vocational rehabilitation provider and any additional safeguards which would be necessary to assure the effectiveness of such a program. (c) PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS. — (1) SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS. — The Secretary shall select for participation in each demonstration project under this section disabled beneficiaries for whom there is a reasonable likelihood that rehabilitation services provided to them will result in performance by them of substantial gainful activity for a continuous period of nine months prior to termination of the project. (2) SELECTION OF PROVIDERS OF REHABILITATION SERVICES. —The Secretary shall select qualified rehabilitation agencies to serve as providers of rehabilitation services in the geographic area covered by each demonstration project conducted under this section. The Secretary shall make such selection after consultation with disabled individuals and organizations representing such individuals. With respect to each demonstration project, the Secretary may approve on a case-by-case basis additional qualified rehabilitation agencies from outside the geographic area covered by the project to serve particular disabled beneficiaries.

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