The Social Security Administration has issued a ruling — SSR 12-2p — with regard to fibromyalgia, specifically addressing what evidence is needed to establish a “medically determinable impairment” (MDI) of fibromyalgia and how fibromyalgia will be evaluated with regard to a determination of disability.
Long overdue, this ruling clarifies that SSA will find a MDI of fibromyalgia if a physician diagnoses fibromyalgia based on either: (1) the 1990 ACR Criteria for the Classification of Fibromyalgia OR (2) the 2010 ACR Preliminary Diagnostic Criteria.
Once a MDI of fibromyalgia has been established, the determination of disability proceeds using the usual five-step sequential evaluation. Fibromyalgia still is not a listed impairment.