Social Security Administration is committed to providing benefits quickly to claimants whose medical conditions are so serious that they clearly meet our disability standards.  Our two fast-track processes, Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowances (CAL), use technology to identify claimants with the most severe disabilities and allow us to expedite our decisions on those cases while maintaining accuracy.  These initiatives have been two of our greatest successes in recent years. We can approve some cases in a matter of days instead of months.

QUICK DISABILITY DETERMINATIONS (QDD) RULES FINALIZED (September 1, 2007)

The new regulations implementing QDD read as follows:

Sec. 404.1619 (416.1019) Quick disability determination process.

(a) If we identify a claim as one involving a high degree of probability that the individual is disabled, and we expect that the individual’s allegations will be easily and quickly verified, we will refer the claim to the State agency for consideration under the quick disability determination process pursuant to this section and Sec.404.1620(c). (416.1020(c))

(b) If we refer a claim to the State agency for a quick disability determination, a designated quick disability determination examiner must:

1. Have a medical or psychological consultant verify that the medical evidence in the file is sufficient to determine that, as of the alleged onset date, the individual’s physical or mental impairment(s) meets the standards we establish for making quick disability determinations;
2. Make quick disability determinations based only on the medical and nonmedical evidence in the files; and
3. Subject to the provisions in paragraph (c) of this section, make the quick disability determination by applying the rules in subpart P of this part.

(c) If the quick disability determination examiner cannot make a determination that is fully favorable to the individual or if there is an unresolved disagreement between the disability examiner and the medical or psychological consultant, the State agency will adjudicate the claim using the regularly applicable procedures in this subpart.

Country: USA. Institution: SSA. DocType: Regulation/Business Process.

In an effort to improve the speed and quality of their disability claims process, Social Security developed the “fast-track” program, a two-part initiative that uses computer technology to identify cases where the decision is highly likely or certain to be favorable.

The first initiative is Quick Disability Determinations (QDD). Under QDD, a predictive computer model analyzes specific data within the electronic file to identify cases where there is a high potential that the claimant is disabled and where Social Security can quickly obtain evidence of the person’s allegations.

20 CFR 416.1019 - Quick disability determination process. :  https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/20/416.1019 

SSA Program Operations Manual System (POMS):

• DI 11005.603 Processing Quick Disability Determinations (QDD) Cases - Field Office (FO) Instructions 

• DI 23022.000 Processing Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowance (CAL) in the Disability Determination Services (DDS)

This paper provides new evidence on the development of online platforms and explores the emergence of new forms of work in the digital economy. Following the rise of platforms that match demand and supply of goods (e-commerce) and information (search, social networks), platform markets for services traded over the Internet (the "x"-economy) have grown exponentially in recent years. The paper analyses how online platforms affect the organisation of markets and work; discusses related opportunities and challenges for individuals participating in such markets; presents analysis of trends and effects of non-standard work in OECD countries; and identifies policy issues related to new forms of work. It finds that the transformative effects of online platforms may challenge existing institutions and might necessitate reviews of policy and regulatory frameworks in many areas. To further analyse such digital transformation, better data is needed on the effects of online platforms in all of these areas.

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