On December 16, 2020 Social Security released an emergency message to staff to start tracking disability cases where a claimant has been diagnosed with COVID-19. This step seems like an attempt by Social Security to keep its eye on potential long-term effects of the coronavirus, which medical experts remain uncertain about.
Since mid March when the number of COVID-19 cases increased and partial shutdowns began to occur few people were talking about long-term effects of the virus, but nine months later some people have continued to develop long-term impacts of COVID-19. Social Security is now interested in tracking these cases to see if some of the long-term impact might meet Social Security’s disability guidelines.
SSA COVID-19 Flagging Protocol
We will apply the COVID-19 flag to all electronic cases when a person alleges COVID-19 as a medical condition, or when we discover a person has an MDI of COVID-19. We will not flag paper cases for COVID-19 because we are using the COVID-19 flag for management information purposes only.
If the COVID-19 flag is added to a case and the evidence does not establish a medically determinable impairment (MDI) of COVID-19, remove the flag. For example, a person alleges COVID-19 as a medical condition, however the medical evidence indicates a false positive test.
IMPORTANT: Do not add the COVID-19 flag for other reasons related to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as when a person alleges he or she is medically at high risk for COVID-19 or unable to work due to increased risk for COVID-19.
- Field Office (FO) and Workload Support Unit (WSU) Instructions
If a person alleges COVID-19 as a medical condition, take the following steps:
- For a new initial claim, request for reconsideration, request for a hearing, request for Appeals Council review, or a continuing disability review (CDR), add the COVID-19 flag. For cases already transferred, add the COVID-19 flag.
- Disability Determination Services (DDS) Instructions
If the Field Office did not flag a case with an allegation of COVID-19 or the DDS discovers a person has an MDI of COVID-19:
- Add the COVID-19 flag.
- Office of Quality Review (OQR) Instructions
OQR will verify that the COVID-19 flag is in eView.
If the FO or DDS did not flag a case with an allegation or MDI of COVID-19, or OQR discovers a person has an MDI of COVID-19:
- Add the COVID-19 flag.
- Office of Hearing Operations (OHO) Instructions
OHO will verify that the COVID-19 flag is in eView. OHO will also add the CVMI – COVID-19 Medical Impairment case characteristic in the Case Processing and Management System (CPMS) or the Hearings and Appeals Case Processing System (HACPS).
If the FO or DDS did not flag a case with an allegation or MDI of COVID-19, or OHO discovers a person has an MDI of COVID-19:
- Add the COVID-19 flag in eView per Standard Hearing Operations Procedure (SHOP) 1.4.2.10 and
- Add the CVMI – COVID-19 Medical Impairment case characteristic in CPMS or HACPS
