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.