The Social Security Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing yesterday on Protecting Social Security From Waste, Fraud and Abuse. The only witness was Patrick O'Carroll, who will soon be leaving his position as Inspector General at Social Security. I don't see anything particularly new in his prepared remarks.
The ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, Xavier Becerra, entered an interesting statement in the record. Here is an excerpt:
Congress’ current trend of prioritizing program integrity activities at the expense of service to applicants, beneficiaries, and taxpayers is unsustainable.
Social Security’s budget should not be treated as a zero-sum game. We should not be robbing Peter to pay Paul.
In my six years as Ranking Member of this Subcommittee, not once have we held a hearing on SSA’s operating budget.
There is no question that funding for program integrity is absolutely integral to ensuring that Americans receive benefits in the right amount, and that only those who are eligible receive payments.
But it is equally important to ensure that: SSA has the tools and resources needed to provide quick and timely service to the millions of Americans receiving Social Security, and to the millions more who will – in the coming years – be applying and qualifying for the benefits they and their families have earned.
Below are some charts from the statement illustrating the problems at Social Security.
By the way, Becerra's name gets mentioned from time to time as a potential Vice-Presidential candidate.
Yes! Redeterminations of SSI beneficiaries in current pay are a higher priority than paying initial claims. Management won't admit this, but there is extreme pressure to do a certain number of RZs per week but it is OK to let an initial allowance sit on a list for months (unless it's an ALJ in which case it MUST be paid within 60 days even if the documentation isn't finished).
ReplyDeleteA Democrat politician says, "Social Security’s budget should not be treated as a zero-sum game. We should not be robbing Peter to pay Paul." If they weren't robbing Peter to pay Paul, Social Security would be rich.. The hypocrisy of it all..
ReplyDeleteWow, a congressman who recognizes the real problem and proposes something that would actually deal with it. How refreshing.
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ReplyDeleteThat's because so much of our budget $ is tied to/specifically for fraud-fighting stuff such as determinations and CDRs. If y'all in Operations didn't do a bunch of those and prioritize them, we would be using that money contrary to the budget and would make Congress upset
I don't really understand the emphasis on CDRs. You really have to have a mindset that the ALJs have been giving away the store to truly unworthy claimants for years for the CDRs to have much of an impact! Sure, it might have an impact if you focus the effort on claimants approved by a few 80+% approval judges! But, simply random chance CDRs will probably cost more than they "save." I think it makes more sense to investigate individual cases of real fraud, such as Senator Coburn's tree trimmer, and make examples of them!
ReplyDeleteSSA needs to get their priorities in order and Congress needs to hold them accountable. Everything is a priority until nothing is. SSA announced to the AFGE they are closing three Teleservice Centers in the face of the degrading service on the 800# as noted on your chart that seems counterproductive.
ReplyDelete800# Agents could have been moved. Telework is another option as opposed to taking agents out of field offices to Telework. The basic tenant of face to face service critical to the people who need it the most disabled, aged, limited functioning or language issues is lost on SSA.
No cash shortage in the Appeals Council. That component has expanded to three times the size it was in 2008. And it expects the gift to keep on giving now that it's getting involved in doing hearings. Follow the money...
ReplyDeleteAll of this is to have a sure fire answer to privatize ssa. but the money doesn't belong to congress or any other legislative branch. IT belongs to most of those who have worked. I cannot include the politicians since they haven't done much of anything or spent much time doing actual legislative work. Their far to busy raising funds for reelection & saying no to it all decent laws.. If anything needs to be privatized, maybe it should be congress.
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