Here are a few items from yesterday's National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) Conference in Washington:
- David Camp received the Eileen Sweeney Distinguised Service Award. Camp spearheaded the legal assault on the "secret ALJ" policy.
- Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin said that Social Security is now 60 days out in scheduling appointments with its field offices, that is, that if you call in wanting to make an appointment to transact business with the agency, expect a 60 day wait. She also related that she had recently visited the agency's field office in Alexandria, VA. She was told that customers were lining up starting at 7:30 in the morning. The office opens at 9:00.
- Glenn Sklar, Social Security's Deputy Commissioner for Disability Adjudication and Review, said that his agency expects to introduce an Appeals Council status report in August 2013 as part of its appointed representative services package. He also showed a chart demonstrating that more than 25% of claimants now receive their hearings by video.
- Nancy Shor, NOSSCR's retiring Executive Director, received two well deserved standing ovations. She said that she was hearing the idea of time limited disability benefits more and more often.
7 comments:
60 day wait times, closing the offices, and all the hiring has been done for ODAR and NHC with hundres of ALJs and assoc. staff. Meanwhile the CRs and SRs on the front line are getting overwhelmed. As summer heat comes expect more reports of attacks against the FO folks who are doing all they can and getting nn respect.
Unsure of the Agency motivation. While it does cause pain to the average citizen, looks bad in pictures, it also can be used to say see all these people waiting for handouts. I think the push to get claims out the back door is about to come to an end and the focus will once again shift to wait times.
We have seen this pendulum swing before.
"Nancy Shor, NOSSCR's retiring Executive Director, received two well deserved standing ovations. She said that she was hearing the idea of time limited disability benefits more and more often."
Not sure if the standing ovations were for her...or the idea of time-limited benefits.
This just seems like common sense. While I agree that SOME impairments result in permanent disability, almost all the ones that we see at the hearing level (depression, ddd, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) have good chances for improvement with actual medical care.
Lines are nothing new. Five years ago, ten years ago, twenty years ago, you could see fairly long lines outside the doors of any urban SSA office before opening time. First, you have many very elderly folks who have been up since 4:30 AM, and want to get their business out of the way first thing in the morning. To them, 8:00 or 830 AM is the middle of the day. Second, a lot of homeless shelters dump their residents onto the streets at 7:00 AM, and to them killing a couple of hours on a warm, hard plastic chair beats a cold sidewalk.
@12:23 tell us more about DDD improving, I've got some clients who are very interested.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/arthritis/AR00009
Improving arthritic pain with exercise. Not to mention the numerous procedures such as fusion, decompression, laminectomy, etc. that are proven to reduce back pain.
"almost all the ones that we see at the hearing level (depression, ddd, diabetes, hypertension, etc.) have good chances for improvement with actual medical care".
I honestly believe a person traits are their own OR if a person is truly depressed,anxiety etc. medicine may help but the condition will surface depending on situation.
Also,
There should be time limited Fica tax from a tax payer too if there is time limited disability payments.
Fair is fair.
Post a Comment