The CAL selection software identifies CAL cases upon EDCS transfer to the DDS at the
initial adjudicative level. Adjudicators can manually identify CAL cases at the initial,
reconsideration, hearing, and Appeals Council adjudicative levels.
Designated employees in the DDS, the Office of Quality Review (OQR), and the Office
of Hearings Operations (OHO) can manually add, remove, and reinstate a CAL indicator
to a case per DI 23022.055. Field office (FO) employees cannot add, remove, or reinstate CAL cases. Like QDD,
Terminal Illness (TERI) cases and Presumptive Disability (PD) or Presumptive Blindness
(PB) claims, the FO must initiate full non-medical development for a CAL case.
CAL cases are:
-
a.
assigned to designated disability examiners who have the knowledge, training, and
experience to effectively carry out the fast-track process, and meet the qualifications
set forth in DI 23022.010D in this section;
-
b.
processed as expedited cases; and,
-
c.
designated simultaneously (as applicable) as a TERI case, PD or PB claim, and QDD
case to ensure continued priority handling if the adjudicator removes the case from
the CAL process.
NOTE: Although not all CAL cases involve terminal illness they are similar to TERI cases.
For example, a person with a spinal cord injury could qualify as CAL – even if they
can be expected to live for many years.
NOTE: To access the eView CAL page, select the hyperlink labeled "CAL" in the top right
hand frame of the Electronic Folder (EF) in eView. The CAL link will display "CAL:
Y" or "CAL: N".