The Disability Determination Services (DDS) should initiate development within one
working day of case receipt for CAL and QDD fast-track cases. The field office (FO)
provides an electronically signed SSA-827 Authorization to Disclose Information to the Social Security Administration (SSA)
into the Electronic Disability Collect System (EDCS) before sending the case for processing.
If the case includes a title XVI claim, the DDS also needs to consider whether presumptive
disability (PD) or presumptive blindness (PB) applies. For DDS responsibilities in
PD or PB claims, see DI 23535.010.
The FO will fax up to 15 pages of medical evidence of record (MER) into the electronic
folder prior to the electronic transfer of a case . For cases with more than 15 pages
of MER, the FO mails evidence to the DDS via REGULAR mail. Because these cases are
time critical, The DDS scans the mail in MER upon receipt and does not send to a national
scanning contractor.
The impairment summaries for listed CAL conditions provides guidance to help develop
useful evidence. The CAL
website provides more information on CAL and houses the impairment summaries. An alphabetical
list of CAL impairment summaries are located in DI 23022.080.