§416.1015. Making disability determinations.
20 C.F.R. § 416.1015
When making a disability determination, the State agency will apply subpart I, part 416, of our regulations.
The State agency will make disability determinations based only on the medical and nonmedical evidence in its files.
Disability determinations will be made by:
A State agency medical or psychological consultant and a State agency disability examiner;
A State agency disability examiner alone when there is no medical evidence to be evaluated (i.e., no medical evidence exists or we are unable, despite making every reasonable effort, to obtain any medical evidence that may exist) and the individual fails or refuses, without a good reason, to attend a consultative examination (see § 416.918);
A State agency disability examiner alone if you are not a child (a person who has not attained age 18), and the claim is adjudicated under the quick disability determination process (see § 416.1019) or the compassionate allowance process (see § 416.1002), and the initial or reconsidered determination is fully favorable to you. This paragraph (c)(3) will no longer be effective on December 28, 2018 unless we terminate it earlier by publication of a final rule in the Federal Register; or
A State agency disability hearing officer.
In making a determination under title XVI with respect to the disability of a child to whom paragraph (d) of this section does not apply, we will make reasonable efforts to ensure that a qualified pediatrician or other individual who specializes in a field of medicine appropriate to the child's impairment(s) evaluates the case of the child.
The State agency will certify each determination of disability to us on forms we provide.
The State agency will furnish us with all the evidence it considered in making its determination.
The State agency will not be responsible for defending in court any determination made, or any procedure for making determinations, under these regulations.
Notes, amendments, and revision history
Amendments
[52 FR 23928, Sept. 9, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 11021, Mar. 14, 1991; 58 FR 47587, Sept. 9, 1993; 61 FR 11136, Mar. 19, 1996; 62 FR 38455, July 18, 1997; 65 FR 34959, June 1, 2000; 75 FR 62684, Oct. 13, 2010; 78 FR 66639, Nov. 6, 2013; 79 FR 51243, Aug. 28, 2014; 80 FR 63093, Oct. 19, 2015; 81 FR 73028, Oct. 24, 2016; 82 FR 5883, Jan. 18, 2017]
Authority
Authority: Secs. 702(a)(5), 1614, 1631, and 1633 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 902(a)(5), 1382c, 1383, and 1383b).
Source
Source: 46 FR 29211, May 29, 1981, unless otherwise noted.
Amendments
[52 FR 23928, Sept. 9, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 11021, Mar. 14, 1991; 58 FR 47587, Sept. 9, 1993; 61 FR 11136, Mar. 19, 1996; 62 FR 38455, July 18, 1997; 65 FR 34959, June 1, 2000; 75 FR 62684, Oct. 13, 2010; 78 FR 66639, Nov. 6, 2013; 79 FR 51243, Aug. 28, 2014; 80 FR 63093, Oct. 19, 2015; 81 FR 73028, Oct. 24, 2016; 82 FR 5883, Jan. 18, 2017]