1. Ask for a hospital birth record of the child’s birth, if available.
2. If no hospital record is available, ask for the health care provider’s own medical
record for the birth or other record for the child recorded shortly after the birth,
such as a physical exam/check-up. A health care provider includes, but is not limited
to, a physician, nurse, or midwife.
NOTE: If an FO establishes a local procedure in which a hospital or other custodian of
the birth record provides the medical record of birth or other evidence of age listed
in RM 10210.265 directly to the FO, no verification is needed. Process the SSN application per RM
10205.315 if all other required evidence is submitted and verified as appropriate.
3. Explain to the applicant that:
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•
Under the law, SSA must verify birth records with the custodian of the record or issuing
entity before processing the SSN application.
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•
Unless you are able to verify the evidence immediately (e.g., as in on-site contact
with a hospital administrator), there may be a delay in the receipt of the SSN card
because of this verification requirement.
4. Give the applicant a printout of the appropriate public information materials explaining
the IRTPA requirements.
5. Print a Form SSA-L706 and an SSA-L706 cover letter in SSNAP. Have the applicant
sign the disclosure authorization in Part 1 of Form SSA-L706, "Letter to Custodian
of Birth Records." This release is required under the HIPAA rules and permits the
hospital/health care provider to release records about the applicant’s birth to SSA.
Complete applicable entries on the form per GN 00302.070.
6. Contact the hospital or health care provider to advise that the request for verification
of the applicant’s birth record is forthcoming and to arrange for the most convenient
method for SSA to submit the verification request and to receive the hospital or health
care provider’s response. A local process is acceptable.