Background

This transmittal amends section I-3-1-11 in the Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law (HALLEX) manual to reflect the current business processes for Office of Appellate Operations (OAO) medical support staff (MSS) referrals.

Explanation of Content and Changes

I-3-1-11 – We revised the title to “Referral to the Medical Support Staff (MSS)” to more accurately reflect the intent of the provision. We added subsections to improve the readability of the provision.

I-3-1-11 A – We titled the subsection “When to Refer to MSS,” and clarified when the Appeals Council may need an MSS opinion. We made minor editorial and formatting changes.

I-3-1-11 B – We titled the subsection “How to Refer a Case to MSS,” and updated the procedures for referring a case to MSS. We included instructions on sending medical evidence to MSS, creating a diary for receipt of the opinion, and routing the referral to MSS.

I-3-1-11 C – We titled the subsection “Receipt of an MSS Report,” and updated the procedures for evaluating an MSS opinion. We included instructions on receiving, evaluating, proffering, and exhibiting the opinion, as necessary.

Date: June 27, 2014