The House Social Security Subcommittee has posted the witness list for tomorrow's hearing on "The Challenges of Achieving Fair and Consistent Disability Decisions":
- Patrick P. O’Carroll, Jr., Inspector General, Social Security Administration, accompanied by Heather Hermann, National Coordinator, Cooperative Disability Investigations Program, Office of the Inspector General, Social Security Administration
- Arthur R. Spencer, Associate Commissioner, Office of Disability Programs, Social Security Administration
- Kathy Ruffing, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Trudy Lyon-Hart, Director, Office of Disability Determination Services, Vermont Agency of Human Services, on behalf of the National Council of Disability Determination Directors
- David Hatfield, Administrative Law Judge (Retired), Wexford, Pennsylvania
"Focus Of The Hearing
ReplyDeleteThe hearing will examine policies that have expanded the role of subjective evaluations in determining whether applicants qualify for benefits and how these policies may result in unexplained variations in decision-making, weakening public confidence in the consistency and fairness of this national program."
It's nice that they are starting with such a neutral and unbiased view about whether subjective symptoms can play a role in causing disability :p
Former Commissioner Astrue's Straight Talk from March 8 Advisory Board meeting is a worthwhile read.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ssab.gov/Portals/0/2013Forum/Presentations/Astrue%20Speech%203-8-13.pdf