I-2-5-61.Use of Dually Qualified Vocational and Medical Experts

Generally, the rosters of medical and vocational experts maintained by an Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) regional office (RO) are sufficient to meet OHO's needs for expert witness testimony. Therefore, OHO does not allow one individual to enter into a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to serve as both a medical expert and a vocational expert. For more information about BPAs, see Hearings, Appeals and Litigation Law manual I-2-5-31.

If an individual applies for and meets the qualification standards of both a medical and vocational expert, the OHO RO will first assess expert witness needs in the region. The OHO RO will then make an offer to the individual to place him or her on the roster with the greater need. If the individual accepts the offer, the RO will add the individual to the roster. For the duration of the BPA, the individual may serve only in the capacity provided for in the BPA.