2665.5 Medically Determinable Severe Impairment

Once the individual is determined to have lost disability due to medical improvement, the agency must also document the individual continues to have a medically determinable severe impairment.

This is determined to exist if a medical professional (doctor, nurse practitioner, or psychologist) documents one or more of the following health conditions:

The individual's disability continues to substantially limit the ability to work or conduct daily life activities;

The individual has a mental or physical health problem that has been stabilized by assistive technology, medication, treatment, monitoring by medical professionals, or a combination of all of these, and loss of medical services may result in a deterioration of the condition;

The loss of medical care could result in the individual's not being able to continue in the workforce or the health problems would regress to the point where the individual would meet the SSA definition of disability, and become eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payments. The Benefit Specialist is responsible for establishing the level of impairment is met. The level of impairment is reviewed annually.