Fast-Track Processes

We are committed to providing 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 reflect the characteristics of the recent applicant population and optimize its ability to identify strong candidates for expedited processing. 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 by definition, meet our standards for disability benefits. The CAL initiative helps us reduce waiting time to reach a disability determination for individuals with the most serious disabilities by incorporating cutting-edge technology. 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