Medical proof, social policy, and Social Security's medically centered definition of disability.

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 R I. DISABILITY AS AN ELIGIBILITY CRITERION: THE PROBLEM OF DEFINITION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 R A. Defining Disability as an Eligibility Criterion . . . . . . . . 195 R B. Refining the Definition: Significant Changes Reflected in the Current Disability Standard . . . . . . . . 201 R 1. Clarifying the Role of Vocational Factors: Kerner v. Flemming and the 1967 Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 R 2. Clarifying the Medical-Basis Requirement for Pain and Other Subjective Symptoms: Pain Cases and the 1984 Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 R 3. The Special Case of Defining Disability for Children: Original Supplemental Security Income Definition, Sullivan v. Zebley, and the 1996 Amendments . . . . . 207 R II. APPLYING THE DEFINITION: SETTING STANDARDS AND WEIGHING PROOF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 R A. Setting Standards for Objectivity and Consistency . . . 210 R 1. Sequential Evaluation Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 R 2. Listings and Guidelines: Listing of Impairments and Medical-Vocational “Grids”; Quick Disability Determinations and Presumptive Disability . . . . . . . . . . 213 R B. Classifying and Weighing Medical Proof . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 R 1. “Medically Acceptable Clinical and Laboratory Diagnostic Techniques” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220 R 2. Acceptable Medical Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221 R 3. Medical Opinions: Treating and Consulting Physicians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222 R 4. SSA’s New Federal Medical and Vocational Expert System and Institute of Medicine Study on Use of Medical Expertise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224 R III. FOCUSING ON MEDICAL PROOF: THE PROBLEM OF MASKING SOCIAL POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 R