Assignment means our selection of the coal operator or related person to be charged with the responsibility of paying the annual health and death benefit premiums of certain coal miners and their eligible family members.

Beneficiary means either a coal industry retiree who, on July 20, 1992, was eligible to receive, and receiving, benefits as an eligible individual under the 1950 or the 1974 UMWA Benefit Plan, or an individual who was eligible to receive, and receiving, benefits on July 20, 1992 as an eligible relative of a coal industry retiree.

Evidence of a prima facie case of error means documentary evidence, records, and written statements submitted to us by the assigned operator (or related person) that, standing alone, shows our assignment was in error. The evidence submitted must, when considered by itself without reference to other contradictory evidence that may be in our possession, be sufficient to persuade a reasonable person that the assignment was erroneous. Examples of evidence that may establish a prima facie case of error include copies of Federal, State, or local government tax records; legal documents such as business incorporation, merger, and bankruptcy papers; health and safety reports filed with Federal or State agencies that regulate mining activities; payroll and other employment business records; and information provided in trade journals and newspapers.

A related person to a signatory operator means a person or entity which as of July 20, 1992, or, if earlier, the time immediately before the coal operator ceased to be in business, was a member of a controlled group of corporations which included the signatory operator, or was a trade or business which was under common control with a signatory operator, or had a partnership interest (other than as a limited partner) or joint venture with a signatory operator in a business within the coal industry which employed eligible beneficiaries, or is a successor in interest to a person who was a related person.

We or us refers to the Social Security Administration.

You as used in this subpart refers to the coal operator (or related person) assigned premium responsibility for a specific beneficiary under the Coal Act.