{"abstract":"We are revising our medical evidence rules. The revisions include redefining several key terms related to evidence, revising our rules about acceptable medical sources (AMS), revising how we consider and articulate our consideration of medical opinions and prior administrative medical findings, revising our rules about medical consultants (MC) and psychological consultants (PC), revising our rules about treating sources, and reorganizing our evidence regulations for ease of use. These revisions conform our rules to the requirements of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (BBA), reflect changes in the national healthcare workforce and in the manner that individuals receive medical care, and emphasize the need for objective medical evidence in disability and blindness claims. We expect that these changes will simplify our rules to make them easier to understand and apply, and allow us to continue to make accurate and consistent disability determinations and decisions.","action":"Final rules.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"Social Security Administration","name":"Social Security Administration","id":470,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/social-security-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/470","parent_id":null,"slug":"social-security-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2017/01/18/2017-00455.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":404,"title":20},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":416,"title":20}],"citation":"82 FR 5844","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"These final rules are effective on March 27, 2017.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. SSA-2012-0035"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"2017-00455","effective_on":"2017-03-27","end_page":5884,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2017/01/18/2017-00455.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/18/2017-00455/revisions-to-rules-regarding-the-evaluation-of-medical-evidence","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2017-00455?publication_date=2017-01-18","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2017-01-18/2017-00455/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":41,"page_views":{"count":44555,"last_updated":"2026-09-22 18:15:08 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-01-18/pdf/2017-00455.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2017-00455.pdf?1484660731","publication_date":"2017-01-18","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2017/01/18/2017-00455.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0960-AH51":{"issue":"201610","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0960-AH51/revisions-to-rules-regarding-the-evaluation-of-medical-evidence","title":"Revisions to Rules Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=201610&RIN=0960-AH51&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["0960-AH51"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"E.O. 12866 Meeting on Revisions to Rules Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence - Listening Session 12-22-16 (Notes)","document_id":"SSA-2012-0035-0383"},{"title":"SSA DISABILITY BENEFITS PROGRAMS: ASSESSING THE EFFICACY OF THE TREATING PHYSICIAN RULE (April 3, 2013)\nBy - Administrative Conference of the United States","document_id":"SSA-2012-0035-0004"},{"title":"Petition for Rulemaking Before the Social Security Administration \nBy Richard J. Pierce, Jr. \nGeorge Washington University School of Law","document_id":"SSA-2012-0035-0002"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0960-AH51/revisions-to-rules-regarding-the-evaluation-of-medical-evidence","title":"Revisions to Rules Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence"},"comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=SSA-2012-0035","supporting_documents_count":3,"docket_id":"SSA-2012-0035","regulation_id_number":"0960-AH51","title":"Revisions to Rules Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2017-02-07T06:00:19Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":5844,"subtype":null,"title":"Revisions to Rules Regarding the Evaluation of Medical Evidence","toc_doc":"Evaluation of Medical Evidence","toc_subject":null,"topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Blind","Disability benefits","Reporting and recordkeeping requirements","Social security","Supplemental Security Income (SSI)"],"type":"Rule","volume":82}