Job Openings for Commissioner's Plan?

Social Security has just announced job openings in Boston, MA, Portland, ME, Providence, RI and Manchester, NH for case technicians. These are all in Social Security's Region I, which is where implementation of the Commissioner of Social Security's proposal in supposed to begin. These job openings may be associated with the Commissioner's plan to alter the disability adjudication process. There have been few other announcements of job openings at SSA in recent weeks. Applications for all of the positions are supposed to be sent to the Regional Office rather than to individual Hearing Offices.

Linda McMahon Testifies

Linda McMahon, Social Security's Deputy Commissioner for Operations and the author of a leaked e-mail to Social Security staff that detailed SSA's difficulties in implementing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit, gave an upbeat assessment of the status of the Medicare Part D implementation in her prepared remarks to the Senate Special Committee on Aging on February 2. The Committee's Website includes the statements by the other witnesses at the hearing, which are also much more upbeat than one might think.

Philadelphia Inquirer on Social Security Regulatory Proposals

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports today on the controversy surrounding the Commissioner of Social Security's proposals to change the age categories in the Grid Regulations and to change the administrative adjudication process for determining disability.

Bipolar's Guide to Winning Social Security Disability

Dr. Susan Nickerson, who describes herself as a "professional advocate for the disabled" and who puts the initials "DC PT" [Doctor of Chiropractic, Physical Therapist?] after her name, has issued the “Bipolar’s Guide to Winning Social Security Disability.” It is sold online as an e-book and is intended to help those suffering from bipolar disorder who are filing for Social Security disability benefits and who are "unable or unwilling" to hire an attorney or other representative to help them in their dealings with SSA.

Senate Unable to Pass Medicare Part D Signup Changes

Senators voted 52-45 to give Medicare recipients until the end of 2006 to sign up without penalty for the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit, also known as Part D of Medicare, and to allow those who have already signed up to switch their coverage to another plan. However, the proposal failed since it was an amendment to a budget bill and amendments to budget bills require 60 votes under Senate rules. The Social Security Administration is currently having considerable difficulty coping with the number of calls and visits it is receiving from individuals seeking help with Part D questions.

Upcoming Meetings and CLE

There are always continuining legal education (CLE) seminars on Social Security and meetings of various groups of SSA and DDS employees. These are the upcoming CLEs and meetings that I am aware of:

• February 11, 2006 10th Circuit Social Security Claimants' Representatives, Salt Lake City, UT (contact Julie Byassee atjbyassee@troutmanlaw.com or by phone at (918) 587-0050)
  
• February 18-22, 2006 ATLA Social Security Disability Law Section CLE, Honolulu, HI
• February 24, 2006 Social Security Advisory Board, Washington, DC
  
• March 8, 2006 Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association CLE, Philadelphia, PA
• March 24, 2006 NC Academy of Trial Lawyers CLE, Winston-Salem, NC
• April 2-5, 2006 National Association of Disability Representatives Non-Attorney Representative Education, Boston, MA
  
• April 5-8, 2006 National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) CLE, Boston, MA
• May 16-19, 2006 National Association of Disability Examiners Meeting, Virginia Beach, VA
• May 16-19, 2006 National Association of Disability Examiners (NADE), Jackson, MS
• May 19-20, 2006 Stetson University CLE, Tampa, FL
• August 10-11, 2006 Retirement Research Consortium, Washington, DC
  
• September 16-21, 2006 National Association of Disability Examiners, San Diego, CA
  
• October 11-14, 2006 National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) CLE, Phoenix, AZ
• October 16-19, 2006 National Council of Social Security Management Association Meeting, Milwaukee, WI
• May 20-23, 2007, National Association of Disability Examiners Meeting, Stowe, VE
  

If you know of others, please e-mail me: charles@charleshallfirm.com

OMB Criticizes SSA Overpayments

A report by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) criticizes Social Security overpayments, which are said to have increased from $2 billion to $3.7 billion according to the Associated Press.

Study on When to Take Social Security

A study by two researchers at Boston College concludes that married women should take Social Security benefits early and that married men and single women should take Social Security retirement benefits late. More than half of men and women now take benefits at age 62. You have to wonder how many of of those retiring at age 62 were actually disabled and how all of this fits into the rise in full retirement age to 67 which is already underway.