Step 2: Listing of Impairments

	SSA maintains a listing of impairments which are considered severe enough to prevent a person from engaging in any gainful activity. Most of the listed impairments are permanent, expected to result in death, or to exist for at least a specified period of time.

At Step 2 of the CDR evaluation process (see the CDR Evaluation Process Chart), an individual is continued for benefits without further evaluation if his/her impairment(s) is on the list or equals the severity of the impairment(s)on the list, also referred to as “meeting or equaling a listing.” Specifically, if an individual’s impairment(s) meets or equals a current listing, benefits are continued without assessing medical improvement and without assessing his or her Residual Functional Capacity (or functional assessment). In the following question, as well as other questions in the survey that ask you how many cases fall into a particular group, we are asking only for an estimate based on your professional experience. In these questions we are asking for your professional opinion and do not expect you to produce hard data to make the estimate.

3.	Based on your experience, over the past 24 months, approximately how many of the medical CDR cases reviewed by your Disability Determination Services (DDS) were continued for benefits at Step 2 for meeting/equaling a listing? (Select one.)
	1.		All
	2.		Almost all
	3.		Most
	4.		About half
	5.		Some
	6.		Few
	7.		None
	8.		No basis to judge

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Full Report: GAO-07-8

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