Calendar year 2007 unemployment benefit accuracy publication deadlines

UIPL13-08acc.pdf (https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ETA/advisories/UIPL/2008/UIPL13-08acc.pdf)

                                                     CLASSIFICATION
     EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING                           UI
                                                     CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
   ADMINISTRATION ADVISORY SYSTEM
               U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
                                                       OWS/DPM
                    Washington, D.C. 20210           DATE
                                                     February 27, 2008



ADVISORY:         UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PROGRAM LETTER NO. 13-08

TO:               STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES

FROM:             DOUGLAS F. SMALL /s/
                  Deputy Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:          Procedures for the Completion and Publication of Unemployment
                  Insurance (UI) Benefit Accuracy Measurement (BAM) Data for
                  Calendar Year (CY) 2007

1. Purpose. To provide State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) with guidelines and key
   dates for the completion of CY 2007 UI BAM paid and denied claims sample cases
   and the publication of CY 2007 BAM data.

2. References. Benefit Accuracy Measurement State Operations Handbook (ET
   Handbook No. 395, 4th edition), 20 CFR 602, Unemployment Insurance Program
   Letter (UIPL) No. 17-05, and UIPL No. 19-96.

3. Completion of CY 2007 BAM Cases. Chapter VI of ET Handbook No. 395 requires
   “a minimum of 98 percent of cases for the year must be completed within 120 days
   of the ending date of the Calendar Year.” All published BAM data will be based on
   CY 2007 BAM paid and denied claims cases that have been signed off by the BAM
   supervisor by the date of record -- close of business (c.o.b.) April 29, 2008. Changes
   to the state’s database subsequent to the date of record can result in inconsistencies
   with the Department of Labor’s (DOL) database that must be reconciled before BAM
   data can be published. SWAs must not reopen any CY 2007 BAM cases after




 RESCISSIONS                                         EXPIRATION DATE
 None                                                February 28, 2009


   April 29, 2008, until they have reviewed the BAM data transmitted to them by DOL
   and have confirmed that these data agree with the BAM paid and denied claims
   accuracy data produced by the state’s database. Procedures for resolving
   differences between DOL and state BAM data are discussed in section 4.

4. Transmittal of Data and Comment Period. The DOL National Office will produce
   and transmit to each state by May 16, 2008, paid and denied claims accuracy data,
   based on the CY 2007 BAM cases as of c.o.b. April 29, 2008. SWAs are encouraged to
   run the BAM paid claims Annual Report, denied claims Error Rates Report, and
   Improper Denials Rates Report software and compare the results with the rates and
   report footnotes DOL transmits to them for comment prior to publication. Prior to
   the date of record, DOL will transmit a footnote lookup table for the CY 2007 BAM
   paid claims Annual Report, denied claims Error Rates Report, and Improper Denials
   Rates Report. Facsimiles of these reports, report definitions, and report footnotes are
   available in UIPL No. 17-05, Attachments 1 and 2.

   SWAs should report any discrepancies or submit questions concerning the BAM
   paid and denied claims data and footnotes to the National Office, with a copy to the
   appropriate Regional Administrator by June 6, 2008. Comments should be sent to
   Ross Miller by e-mail ([email protected]), fax (202-693-3975), or mail:

          Mr. Ross Miller
          U. S. Department of Labor
          ETA / Office of Workforce Security
          200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room S-4522
          Washington, DC 20210

   National and Regional Office staff will address and reconcile issues raised by the
   states by June 20, 2008.

5. Federal Publication of BAM Data. DOL will publish a CY 2007 BAM analytical
   report on the ETA Web site: http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov. States should
   refer to the CY 2006 analytical report, which is available at:
   http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/unemploy/bam/2006/bam-cy2006.asp, for
   the types of analyses that will be included in the CY 2007 publication.

   If a SWA fails to follow the BAM methodology regarding sample selection, data
   collection, or case completion timeliness prescribed in ET Handbook No. 395 to such
   an extent that the data are not reliable, DOL will publish an explanation of the major
   deficiencies in lieu of BAM data for that state. SWAs must address these deficiencies
   through the State Quality Service Plan process.



   Although UIPL No. 19-96 announced the elimination of the requirement in 20 CFR
   602.21(g) that states release BAM data publicly, states may choose to release their
   BAM data to the public independent of the Federal release.

6. Key Dates. The following key dates for the public release of CY 2007 BAM data are
   the latest that the task or action must be completed.

   4/11/08 SWAs submit requests for waivers of BAM paid and denied claims
           timeliness requirements, along with supporting documentation, to the
           appropriate ETA Regional Administrator.

   4/18/08 Regional Offices respond to states on the disposition of state requests for
           waivers of BAM timeliness requirements.

   4/25/08 The National Office electronically transmits the footnote lookup table for
           the BAM paid and denied claims software to each state's Unemployment
           Insurance Data Base System (Sun Server).

   4/29/08 Each SWA checks its UI database to: 1) ensure that the BAM supervisor
           has signed off all BAM paid and denied claims cases which investigators
           have completed, and 2) reopen any case in order to update information or
           correct any data errors. Cases closed by supervisors after April 29, 2008,
           will not be included in the Paid Claims Accuracy (PCA) Annual Report or
           the Denied Claim Accuracy (DCA) Error Rates and Improper Denials
           Rates Reports. SWAs must not reopen any CY 2007 cases after April 29,
           2008, until they have reviewed the BAM data transmitted by the National
           Office and verified the data against their state database or reconciled any
           differences with DOL.

   5/16/08 The National Office transmits the CY 2007 BAM data to the state
           administrators.

   6/06/08 SWAs review BAM paid and denied claims accuracy data and footnotes,
           and report any discrepancies or submit questions concerning the BAM
           data or footnotes to the National Office (attention: Mr. Ross Miller), with
           copies to the appropriate ETA Regional Administrator.

   6/20/08 National and Regional Office staff address issues raised by the states and
           reconcile any differences between state and DOL BAM data.


     6/20/08 SWAs provide the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address
             of the contact person(s) for public inquiries concerning BAM paid and
             denied claims data. This information should be sent to the attention of
             Mr. Ross Miller at the address, e-mail address, or fax provided in section
             4, with copies to the appropriate ETA Regional Administrator.

     8/29/08 DOL publishes the CY 2007 BAM data on the ETA Web site:
             http://workforcesecurity.doleta.gov.

7. Action. State Administrators are requested to:

        a. Provide copies of these guidelines to the appropriate staff;

        b. Send any request for a waiver of BAM timeliness requirements to the
           appropriate ETA Regional Administrator by c.o.b. April 11, 2008; and

        c. Ensure that the National Office (to the attention of Mr. Ross Miller, as
           discussed in section 4) and the appropriate ETA Regional Administrator are:
           1) notified by June 6, 2008, of any issues that require the reconciliation of
           differences between the state’s and DOL’s BAM data; and 2) provided by
           June 20, 2008, with the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address
           of the person(s) whom interested parties may contact with questions or
           inquiries about the state's BAM data.

8.      Inquiries. Questions should be directed to the appropriate Regional Office.