FIRST MEETING
January 31, 2005
The National Academies
21ST and C Streets, NW, Board Room

Closed Session (Committee Members and IOM Staff Only)

8:30 Welcome by the committee chair

8:35 Bias discussion with committee members chaired by Susanne Stoiber, Executive Officer, Institute of Medicine

Open Session (Public Invited to Observe)

9:30 Introductory remarks, introduction of committee members, and review of charge
Jack Stobo, MD, Chair, Committee on Improving the Disability Decision Process: SSA's Listing of Impairments and Agency Access to Medical Expertise

9:45 Sponsor presentations--SSA Office of Disability and Income Security Programs

10:30 Break

10:45 Sponsor presentations (cont.)--SSA Office of Disability and Income Security Programs

12:00 PM Lunch for committee served in the meeting room

1:00 Panel of Disability Determination Services Directors
Andrew P. Marioni, Jr., Delaware
Tommy Warren, Alabama
Wally Roers, Minnesota

Issues:

* How useful are the Listings for the expeditious screening in of disabled persons?
* How could they be made more useful, and what are the barriers to achieving this?
* What medical expertise is available to you on staff and for a fee in terms of specialties and subspecialties and in terms of qualifications?
* Is there a better way to organize medical personnel so that the appropriate expertise is applied in each case?

2:30 Break

2:45 Panel of Administrative Law Judges and Administrative Appeals Judges
Judge David B. Washington, Chief Administrative Law Judge, SSA
Judge Nancy Griswold, Acting Regional Chief ALJ, Region I, Boston
Judge Taylor, Executive Director, Office of Appellate Operations, and Deputy Chair of the Appeals Council

Issues:

* What role does medical evidence play in reaching appeals decisions?
* What criteria are used to decide when to send a claimant for a consultative examination or to have a medical expert review the case and attend the hearing?
* What medical expertise is available to ALJs/AAJs and how adequate is it?
* Is there a better way to access medical expertise so that the medical expert's specialty more closely matches the kind of impairment in question?

4:00 Committee discussion of the charge

5:00 Adjourn

February 1, 2005

Closed Session for Committee members and Staff Only