Basic (03-86)
INTPSC will develop disability and nondisability factors. To expedite case processing
foreign disability examiners are located in the claims development branch of INTPSC
where they have access to translators and can confer easily with INTPSC claims authorizers
and claims adjudicators on nondisability issues.
Medical and nonmedical development in foreign claims is usually made by examiners
and authorizers through the Foreign Service Posts (FSP). Foreign Service Posts are
the field offices of the Department of State and are located in countries around the
world. Upon request, the Department of State will verify the professional qualifications
of foreign medical sources and will obtain additional medical and nonmedical information
from foreign sources. The services performed by the Department of State and its foreign
service personnel are worldwide in scope. Thus, requests for assistance may be initiated
concerning individuals or medical sources in any country outside the United States
or its possessions, except for the restricted Communist-controlled areas such as,
Albania, Democratic Kampuchea (formerly Cambodia), Cuba, German Democratic Republic
(East Germany and East Berlin), North Korea, Vietnam and the Soviet Union (Russia).
(For a complete listing see RS 02650.001A and RS 02650.020.)
When requesting development through the FSP's, it is important to include all development
in the same request and to clearly identify alternative actions if the needed evidence
is not available from the suggested source. Since foreign contacts are usually time
consuming and difficult, do not request development through the FSP until you have
assured yourself that the needed evidence is not available from domestic sources.