Jan 2, 2025
Jan 1, 2025
Dec 31, 2024
Electronic Payroll Data Rules Are Now Final
The final rules on "Use of Electronic Payroll Data To Improve Program Administration" are published in the Federal Register today. They become effective on March 3, 2025.
What If?
It's unlikely to happen but let's say that just before Inauguration Day, the Social Security Administration finally releases its new occupational information system and let's say it shows no unskilled, sedentary jobs. People would reasonably ask why it wasn't released earlier but, still, this would be a nice bomb for the Biden Administration to leave behind for a new Commissioner.
As I say, it's unlikely to happen but a guy can have dreams.
Dec 30, 2024
WEP/GPO Legislation Contains A Year Of Back Benefits
The interesting wrinkle about the bill that will eliminate the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset is that it’s retroactive. If President Biden signs the bill, and I’ve seen no indication that he won’t, it’s effective January 2024. Those who have been subjected to WEP or GPO will get back benefits going back to the beginning of this year. I’m surprised the back benefits part made it through the legislative process.
Dec 29, 2024
Jimmy Carter 1924-2024
It is a long-standing tradition that federal offices are closed on the day of the funeral of a former President. At Social Security, this has meant the cancelling of all appointments and hearings on that day as employees have the day off.
Dec 27, 2024
What Happened To Michelle Murray's Lawsuit?
I posted this on October 31, 2023:
Michelle Murray, Chief Counsel of Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG), has filed suit on her own behalf pro se (meaning she is representing herself) in federal court in Pennsylvania against Debbie Shaw (Supervisory Attorney at the Office of the Counsel for Investigations and Enforcement -- or OCIE -- at OIG), Joscelyn Funnie (Senior Executive at OCIE), Lisa Rein (a reporter at the Washington Post), WP Company (which owns the Washington Post -- identified in the complaint as "left-centered"), Faith Williams (Director of the Effective and Accountable Government Program at the Project on Government Oversight) and the Project on Government Oversight. The complaint alleges defamation, tortious interference, and false light invasion of privacy. My name is mentioned but not as a defendant.
Does anyone know what ever happened to this suit? Is it still around?
Dec 26, 2024
Dec 25, 2024
A Christmas Question: Can You Overturn It?
From the Baltimore Sun:
… Martin O’Malley has been called to testify before the House Oversight Committee next month about an agreement he signed to allow some Social Security employees to work remotely through 2029.
O’Malley signed the agreement in late November, two days before leaving his Social Security Administration position.
James Comer, a Republican representative from Kentucky who serves as the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, wrote in a letter to O’Malley that his agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees to guarantee a minimum amount of telework for 42,000 Social Security employees through 2029 “will tie the hands of your successor at SSA for the duration of the next administration, and beyond.”
Dec 24, 2024
Dec 23, 2024
WSJ Wants To Know "Who Needs 1,000 Social Security Offices?"
The Wall Street Journal asks "Who Needs 1,000 Social Security Offices?" Of course, they think the field offices can be replaced by online services. I'll bet the authors couldn't define the difference between Disabled Adult Child and SSI Disabled Children's benefits. In other words, they assume that paying retirement benefits is basically all that Social Security does because they really know little about what the agency does.
Dec 22, 2024
Dec 21, 2024
WEP/GPO Bill Passes
The bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset has passed its final Congressional step and will become law once President Biden signs it.
I have a few questions about this:
- What’s the effective date?
- Can Social Security implement this without manual recalculations?
- Were there any other provisions in the bill apart from WEP/GPO?
Goss Retiring
Stephen Goss is retiring as Social Security’s Chief Actuary. He has been a public servant for 51 years. Republicans have complained about Goss over the years, basically because he told them the truth rather than the fantasies they like to believe. I fear that a right wing nut job will replace him.
Dec 20, 2024
Chiropractic Office Involved In Fraud Scheme
From a press release:
The 25th patient of a Jefferson County, Missouri chiropractic office involved in a multi-million dollar disability fraud conspiracy was sentenced Wednesday as part of an ongoing fraud investigation. Six more patients are set for sentencing next year. ...
The two chiropractors who owned and operated PowerMed Inc., Thomas G. Hobbs and Vivian Carbone-Hobbs, are in federal prison, serving four-year prison terms. Hobbs was ordered to repay $4.3 million; Carbone-Hobbs was ordered to repay $16.4 million. ...
Many patients worked at Anheuser-Busch. ...
[The chiropractors] charged patients fees of thousands of dollars to prepare disability forms and coach them on how to lie about their ability to perform basic daily tasks such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting and taking care of their personal needs. According to evidence and testimony presented at the trials ... some patients were presented with a “Disability Package Pricing” sheet that listed the fees ranging as high as $8,600 for PowerMed to handle various disability claims options, including qualifying for Social Security disability, short-term disability, private insurance and insurance that would pay off auto or other loans. The total fees exceeded more than $13,000 for some patients. ...
I don't understand how anything coming from a chiropractor's office could have much impact on a disability claim. They sure don't when they come up -- legitimately -- in my clients’ cases.
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