NADE Reacts To CBS Story

The National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE), an organization representing the examiners who make the determinations at the initial and reconsideration levels, has posted the following statement on the recent CBS News reports on the Social Security disability system:

Members of the National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE) viewed with interest the news story broadcast by CBS Evening News on January 14 and 15. We commend CBS for highlighting some of the problems that have been previously known to exist within the disability program and hope that the story will build momentum for a positive examination of these issues/concerns, and for a true exploration of their potential solutions. However, we were disappointed that the news story sensationalized many of these problems and we were equally disappointed that the CBS story did not offer any of the pending solutions. We were saddened that the story misrepresented many concerns and seemed to report allegations as facts. We believe this story to be an unfair representation of how the disability program is operated. We are prepared to refute the allegations presented in the story as well as to offer a more definitive explanation of the disability process and how it serves the American public. Had we been invited to be interviewed for the CBS story, we would have presented our response on camera.

We are disappointed that CBS did not choose to offer an unbiased examination of the issues but chose to concentrate on sensational reporting. NADE has been working with SSA and with other stakeholders to address the problems highlighted in the CBS story for many years now, and we will continue to do so. Our efforts, however, will continue to be aimed at how best to arrive at reasonable solutions to these issues rather than focusing on the problems. We will continue to be professional in our approach and will continue to honor our commitment to provide world class customer service. This will always be our paramount objective.

Georgina Huskey
President

Let me pose a question for NADE to think about: Does NADE favor or oppose more discretion for disability examiners? If NADE favors more discretion for disability examiners, I think that now would be a great time to say so. It was obvious at the House Social Security Subcommittee hearing yesterday that various groups were trying to lay out an agenda for consideration after the next election. NADE's expressed distress about the CBS report, although understandable, suggests that NADE opposes more discretion for disability examiners. Is that the agenda that NADE wishes to pursue?