Title 20, Part 220 — Determining Disability

Introduction of part.

The basis for the Board's disability decision.

Determinations by other organizations and agencies.

Definitions as used in this part.

Disability for work in an employee's regular railroad occupation.

Definitions as used in this subpart.

Evidence considered.

Establishment of permanent disability for work in regular railroad occupation.

Weighing of evidence.

Effects of work on occupational disability.

Responsibility to notify the Board of events which affect disability.

Recovery from disability for work in the regular occupation.

The reentitlement period.

Payment of the disability annuity during the trial work period and the reentitlement period.

Notice that an annuitant is no longer disabled.

Initial evaluation of a previous occupational disability.

General.

Disability for any regular employment, defined.

What is needed to show an impairment.

How long the impairment must last.

Work that is considered substantial gainful activity.

Special period required for eligibility of widow(er)s.

Introduction.

Period of disability.

When a child's disability determination is governed by the regulations of the Social Security Administration.

When a widow(er)'s disability determination is governed by the regulations of the Social Security Administration.

Disability determination for a surviving divorced spouse or remarried widow(er).

Providing evidence of disability.

Medical evidence.

Purchase of existing medical evidence.

If the claimant fails to submit medical or other evidence.

Consultative examinations at the Board's expense.

Notice of the examination.

Failure to appear at a consultative examination.

When the Board will purchase a consultative examination and how it will be used.

When the Board will not purchase a consultative examination.

Purchase of consultative examinations at the reconsideration level.

Securing medical evidence at the hearings officer hearing level.

Types of purchased examinations and selection of sources.

Objections to the designated physician or psychologist.

Requesting examination by a specific physician, psychologist or institution—hearings officer hearing level.

Diagnostic surgical procedures.

Informing the examining physician or psychologist of examination scheduling, report content and signature requirements.

Reviewing reports of consultative examinations.

Conflict of interest.

Program integrity.

Evaluation of disability for any regular employment.

Evaluation of mental impairments.

Non-severe impairment(s), defined.

Two or more unrelated impairments—initial claims.

Multiple impairments.

Initial evaluation of a previous disability.

Medically disabled.

[Reserved]

Conclusions by physicians concerning the claimant's disability.

Symptoms, signs, and laboratory findings.

Evaluation of symptoms, including pain.

Need to follow prescribed treatment.

The claimant's residual functional capacity.

Responsibility for assessing and determining residual functional capacity.

When vocational background is considered.

Relationship of ability to do work and residual functional capacity.

When the only work experience is arduous unskilled physical labor.

Age as a vocational factor.

Education as a vocational factor.

Work experience as a vocational factor.

Work which exists in the national economy.

Physical exertion requirements.

Skill requirements.

Medical-vocational guidelines in appendix 2 of this part.

Exertional and nonexertional limitations.

General.

Substantial gainful activity, defined.

General information about work activity.

Evaluation guides for an employed claimant.

Evaluation guides for a self-employed claimant.

Impairment-related work expenses.

How work for a railroad employer affects a disability annuity.

How work affects an employee disability annuity.

Earnings report.

Employee penalty deductions.

Employee end-of-year adjustment.

The trial work period.

The reentitlement period.

Responsibility to notify the Board of events which affect disability.

When disability continues or ends.

Terms and definitions.

Determining medical improvement and its relationship to the annuitant's ability to do work.

Exceptions to medical improvement.

Determining continuation or cessation of disability.

The month in which the Board will find that the annuitant is no longer disabled.

Before a disability annuity is stopped.

Notice that the annuitant is not disabled.

If the annuitant becomes disabled by another impairment(s).

The Board may conduct a review to find out whether the annuitant continues to be disabled.

When and how often the Board will conduct a continuing disability review.

If the annuitant's medical recovery was expected and the annuitant returned to work.