Nwe Medical Equivalence Regulations

Social Security has published new regulations effective March 31, 2006 on medical equivalence, that is medical equivalence to the listings of impairments. The listings contain criteria for determining whether a claimant is clearly disabled by a particular disease or condition based solely upon medical evidence. Despite the often controversial nature of medical equivalence determinations, the new rules appear relatively non-controversial, even trivial, and attracted few public comments. As a result of the new rules, AR 00-2(7), which acquiesed to Hickman v. Apfel, 187 F.3d 683 (7th Cir. 1999), has been rescinded.