From the AARP:
... Lawmakers are considering a paid leave benefit that is funded by taxpayers. Such paid leave benefits would be administered through an existing federal agency. Currently, the Social Security Administration is being considered to manage the paid leave benefit.
AARP sought to understand the views of voters 50-plus on the topic. While there is broad support for such a program, older voters are concerned that administering this benefit through the SSA would negatively impact the administration of Social Security benefits to retirees. ...
This is the first I've heard that Social Security might be involved in administering a paid leave plan. If that's to happen, the agency certainly needs a lot more resources. It would be a throwback to the 1960s when Social Security was running Medicare and to the 1930s and early 1940s when Social Security was running a number of other programs. Social Security's administrative funding was vastly better in those days.
The President's budget includes a proposal for SSA to administer a new paid family and medical leave program:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ssa.gov/budget/FY22Files/2022BO.pdf#page=8
Provide Universal Paid Family and Medical Leave
The Budget proposes to create a national comprehensive paid family and medical leave program that will phase in up to 12 weeks of paid parental, family, and personal illness/safe leave by year 10 of the program, and will provide 3 days of bereavement leave per year. The Budget estimates the program will cost $225 billion over 10 years.
SSA still runs Medicare Part A and B enrollment and the occasional odd program like Part D Subsidies, although nothing else to do with Part D.
ReplyDeleteIt makes zero sense why CMS wouldn't have a Medicare technical expert in PSCs and level 1 FOs, but that's bureaucracy for you.
Matt Bruenig in particular (Peoples' Policy Project) has been very vocal about why he thinks SSA should handle the new child benefits and I assume these paid leave benefits and other benefits widely distributed to the people.
ReplyDeleteLots of good points, but of course none of it makes sense unless SSA gets massively more funding as it is currently severely underfunded for its current missions and this/these would be huge new ones.
AARP is not the same organization it was 30 years ago. I take anything they support with a grain of salt as they are in league with insurance companies on the for profit side. Never trust a non profit that also is a for profit, there is a distinct conflict of interest there.
ReplyDeleteThe wording of the AARP poll was very biased against SSA administering paid leave. No questions on which other agencies respondents (most of whom favored paid leave) might prefer to administer the program. Raised many concerns with SSA, including the prospect of Social Security benefit cuts--which is very inflammatory and has nothing to do with SSA administering the program.
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