Fast-Track Processes

We are obligated to provide benefits quickly to claimants whose medical conditions are so serious that they clearly meet our disability standards. Our two fast-track processes, Quick Disability Determinations (QDD) and Compassionate Allowances (CAL), use technology to identify claimants with the most severe disabilities and allow us to expedite our decisions on those cases.

The QDD process uses a computer-based predictive model to screen initial applications to identify cases where a favorable disability determination is highly likely and medical evidence is readily available. By identifying QDD claims early in the process, we can prioritize this workload and expedite case processing. We have used QDD nationally since February 2008. We continue to refine the QDD predictive model to maximize its capacity to identify accurately these cases, so that we can expand the QDD process to serve additional claimants. For more information about the QDD process, see the Quick Disability Determinations homepage .

The CAL process is a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under the Listing of Impairments based on minimal objective medical information. The CAL process allows us to target quickly the most obviously disabled individuals for allowances based on objective medical evidence that we can obtain quickly. For more information about the CAL process, see the Compassionate Allowances homepage . 

We publish public use data on the Fast-Track processes. To access these public use files, see the homepage for Program Development & Research Public Use Files