SSD’s Quick Disability Determinations Program: What You Should Know

Social Security Disability waiting times have spiraled upward in recent years. In the late 2010s, the Social Security Administration (SSA) typically processed initial applications in less than 120 days. Over the first eight months of the 2024 federal fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, that figure had doubled. Additionally, the average wait for a first-level reconsideration by the SSA is seven months. The next step, a hearing before a Social Security administrative law judge, is another fifteen months away. That’s an average total wait time of over two years.

Quick Disability Determination (QDD) is an automated review that screens initial disability applications to identify cases that are likely to be approved. The QDD process uses a computer program to analyze electronic files for factors that indicate a high probability of disability. Technically, all applications qualify for QDD review. As outlined below, sufficient medical records, and more importantly the advocacy of a Tampa Social Security Disability lawyer, are often the keys to securing QDD status and expediting your claim.

Medical Records

All disability cases often qualify for QDD review if the medical records are voluminous and targeted. Furthermore, the application must contain certain magic words that only an experienced Tampa Social Security Disability lawyer knows how to use.

An independent medical exam is usually critical in these cases. Medical records of the SSA evaluation alone are almost always insufficient. Usually, IME doctors either review existing records and render opinions or examine applicants and render opinions.

Most U.S. hospital records are computerized, so they’re relatively easy to access. Note we said “most” records are digitized. Some are not, especially records dated before 2000. Additionally, medical records from hospitals in foreign countries aren’t in the U.S. system.

On a related note, evidence in this area often goes beyond medical records to include statements from friends, family members, and coworkers. Usually, these “buddy statements” cannot address the applicant’s medical condition. But they can elaborate on the effects of that condition (e.g. since Paul has a bad back he can’t go to the park with his grandchildren).

Volume alone often isn’t enough. The medical records must state that the applicant has a listed condition. Epilepsy is a good example.

The E-word is basically an umbrella term for a number of seizure disorders. Not all these disorders are listed conditions. If the medical records include a diagnosis of a listed condition, QDD review is more probable. Magic words in the application work basically the same way.

We should pause here and state that QDD expedited review isn’t always in the applicant’s best interests. That’s especially true if the applicant is counting on a significant amount of back pay. In that situation, the longer the delay, the better.

Attorney Advocacy

As mentioned, attorneys know the magic words to include in applications that increase the likelihood of AI-based QDD review.

Furthermore, attorneys make the impersonal QDD review process personal. As the application sits on the desk of a state Disability Determination Services officer, and we all know that happens, attorneys interface with these individuals and explain that if the case qualifies for QDD review, that’s one less file on the DDS officer’s desk. That realization often encourages these individuals to place applications in another pile.

Finally, the mere fact that a Tampa Social Security Disability lawyer signs off on the application may be enough to merit QDD review. When DDS officers see that signature, they know the application is in order, the evidence is in place, and the applicant’s condition is truly serious.

 Count on a Savvy Hillsborough County Lawyer 

Injury victims are entitled to important financial benefits. For a confidential consultation with an experienced Social Security Disability lawyer in Tampa, contact Kobal Law. Virtual, home, and after-hours visits are available.

Source:

aarp.org/retirement/social-security/info-2024/disability-claim-wait-times.htm