Adjudicate initial title II claims following the usual procedures. Upon completion
of all disability determination actions, transfer the claim to the border FO to associate
with the non-medical portion of the claim.
NOTE: Contact the border FO to discuss any questions related to ceasing medical development
(e.g., SGA earnings), before returning the case to the border FO.
1. DDS medical development and evaluation process
Follow normal medical development and evaluation procedures found in:
When
following
up
by
letter or
telephone, use existing DDS timeframes. You may allow additional time for mail to and from
Canada.
2. Consultative examinations (CE) process
a. Claimant’s medical source
If the medical evidence is not available or is insufficient, arrange a CE. The claimant’s
medical source(s) is the preferred CE source. However, if we cannot use the claimant’s
medical source, schedule the CE in the U.S. The DDS may also maintain a list of Canadian
CE sources.
b. Travel distance to a CE
If the claimant indicates that he or she does not live within a reasonable traveling
distance of the U.S. border, arrange the CE near the claimant’s residence.
c. Claimant fails to attend the CE appointment
If the claimant fails to attend the scheduled CE appointment, follow the procedures
in DI 22510.016D. When following up by letter or telephone, use existing DDS timeframes. You may allow
additional mail time for correspondence to and from Canada. For when to make a determination
based on the evidence in file, see DI 23007.015.