Adjudicators must prepare a rationale of the evaluation process used in adjudicating
continuing disability review (CDR) cases whether the determination is a continuance
or cessation. The rationale documents application of the medical improvement review
standard (MIRS) required on all CDRs. When disability continues, the rationale establishes
a basis for comparison in the subsequent CDR.
A technical rationale explains the complete documentation of the evaluation process
used in CDR case adjudication. Previously, Disability Determinations Services (DDS)
has used terms such as "technical," "supplemental," "modified ," and "summary" to
describe types of rationales. Using these different terms sometimes caused confusion.
Therefore, to avoid unnecessary confusion and with the implementation of the Disability
Case Processing System (DCPS), the Social Security Administration(SSA) decided that
adjudicators use only "technical" to describe a rationale. The technical rationale
should include all aspects of the CDR case, including the step-by-step evaluation
process.
The technical rationale for CDR determinations must:
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Clearly reflect all applicable steps in the CDR evaluation process;
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Present an explicit explanation of the decision, including the documentation used
to support the decision, and
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Incorporate the legislative requirements.