Anyone who stands in line for Social Security disability benefits learns certain truths. The system is slow. It's wasteful.And it's often cruel.
Those who have tried to fix the system's immense backlog of claims know why: Congress and the White House have tried to run the agency on the cheap, starving a bureaucracy that must process 2.5 million disability applications a year.
Hundreds of thousands of American workers whose disabilities have pushed them out of the labor force wait in line for years before getting benefits -- if they live that long.
And in the Portland area, where Social Security runs one of the nation's slowest hearings offices, they'll wait even longer.
"It's hard to escape the conclusion that a system that's supposed to help people who are hurting works instead to wear them down and outlast them," says Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who has worked to fix problems in the local office. ...
Social Security has spent much of the last decade trying to streamline the way it evaluates and winnows cases.
But the plans have scarcely made a dent and sometimes made matters worse ...
The man who heads Social Security, Commissioner Michael J. Astrue, says he's optimistic about a computer program now in place that sifts through claims, identifies clearly disabled applicants and moves them into a pool for quick approval. He's also pushing another fast-track measure that will -- as it rolls out this fall -- speed cases for people suffering any of 25 rare diseases or conditions. ...
The commissioner says he hopes the average claim that reaches the agency's judges can be completed -- from claim to decision -- in about 15 months by the time his term expires.
In 2013.
Aug 2, 2008
Oregonian To Run Piece On Social Security Backlogs
The Oregonian is planning to run a story on Monday on Social Security's backlog situation. The story is supposed to be on the paper's website already, but I have been unable to find it. Anyway, here are some excerpts from a copy that was sent to me:
Update: Here is the link to The Oregonian article.
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3 comments:
If he really believes he can do that by addressing only the processes, it is time to get the rubber room ready. This is like trying to get a team to the World Series by spending all your time practicing the infield fly rule.
I'm somewhat mystified by the comment about the computer programs, too. But for a different reason. Sifting through, identifying and processing them faster doesn't mean that they changed the rules on whether the people are disabled. It just means that ssa will find that they can do "other" work much more quickly.
getting the claims paid more quickly is only one of the things that the public and congress are yelling about. the other piece is a result of their feeling that because they can't do what they used to they are de facto disabled. All the computer prorams in the world won't fix that perception
It doesn't matter how many computer programs they come up with. Due process is a labor intensive, individualized matter, not a production problem.
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