In my work as a Detroit disability lawyer, I make a diligent effort to stay on top of changes in Social Security disability law. From time to time, I will bring to your attention noteworthy developments that may affect your Michigan Social Security disability benefits claim. One such change occurred this month.

The Social Security Administration published final rules that will further reduce the time it takes to decide applications for disability benefits filed by persons with the most severe disabilities – a process that currently takes less than two weeks on average. The new rules allow disability examiners to make fully favorable determinations for adult cases under the agency’s Quick Disability Determination (QDD) and Compassionate Allowance (CAL) processes, without medical or psychological consultant approval. As a result, these fast-track processes will now be even faster.

The QDD and CAL processes were developed to expedite certain claims in which there is a high probability that the claimant will be found disabled. The goal is to speed much-needed benefits to the most severely disabled Americans. Under the QDD process, a predictive computer model analyzes specific data to identify cases where there is a high likelihood that the claimant is disabled and medical evidence can be quickly obtained. The CAL process currently identifies 88 specific diseases and conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits and can be fast-tracked.

The final rules became effective November 12, 2010. You can access the text of the rules (20 CFR Parts 404 and 416) online, through the Federal Register. You can learn more about Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances process here. If you would like to talk with an experienced Michigan disability benefits attorney about whether you or a loved one qualify for one of these fast-track programs, please contact me.