Medical Review Process
The medical review determines whether the physician’s diagnosis and the medical information he or she supplies adequately support the physician’s certification that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled.
The following steps explain the medical review.
Step 1 - Receive the Application
The loan holder receives the borrower's completed discharge application (Discharge Application: Total and Permanent Disability).
The holder of a borrower’s FFEL Program loan(s) may be a lender, a guaranty agency, or the Department. The holder of a borrower’s Perkins Loan Program loan(s) may be a school the borrower attended or the Department. The holder of a borrower’s Direct Loan Program loan(s) is the Department. For a TEACH Grant, the Department is the holder of the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve.
Step 2 - Review Application for Completeness
The loan holder reviews the application to ensure all fields are complete and that the application was received within 90 days of the physician signature date. In particular, the loan holder determines whether the physician has responded sufficiently to each question in the "Physician's Certification" section of the application: See
For Physicians – Completing the Form.
Step 3 - Conduct the Medical Review
The loan holder evaluates whether or not the information provided on the application, and any supporting documentation, supports the conclusion that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled. If necessary, the loan holder may contact the borrower's physician for additional medical information.
Based on the application and all additional medical information, the loan holder determines whether the application supports the conclusion that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled. If the loan holder finds that the discharge application does not support the conclusion that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled, the borrower will be notified of that decision. The borrower must then resume payment of his or her loan(s). If the loan holder determines that the discharge application supports the conclusion that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled, the loan holder assigns the loan to the Department’s Total and Permanent Disability (TPD) Servicer.
The TPD Servicer will then review the physician’s certification and any accompanying documentation in order to confirm that the discharge application supports the conclusion that the borrower is totally and permanently disabled. The TPD Servicer may also contact the certifying physician for additional information, or may arrange for an additional review by an independent physician at the Department’s expense. Based on the results of this review, the TPD Servicer will determine the borrower’s eligibility for discharge.