Senate Votes $38 Million Extra for SSA

The Senate has approved $38 million in additional funding for the Social Security Administration as part of the Hurricane Katrina supplemental appropriation bill.

Inconsistency Between ALJs

Houston TV Station KHOU has recently run a story on inconsistency between ALJs at the Downtown Houston Social Security hearing office. The percentage of favorable decisions issued by ALJs in that office ranged between 68.11% and 7.19%. Registration is required to watch a video of the story (and even then there may be technical problems.) However, the statistics on ALJ allowance rates in the Downtown Houston office are available as a PDF and the ALJs names are listed. Also there are statistics that show the ALJ allowance rate by state, figures that I have never seen before. It is hard to understand how the reporter obtained the statistics on ALJ allowance rates that list ALJs by name. Social Security has released these numbers previously in response to Freedom of Information Act requests, but not with the ALJs' names listed.

Veterans Disability Benefits Commission Studies Offsetting Social Security Disability Benefits

There have been allegations from outside parties that the Veterans Disability Compensation Commission recently set up by Congress was studying the question of whether veterans disability compensation should be reduced by Social Security disability benefits. There is no doubt now. The Commission has now confirmed this with a press release. No final decision has been made, but it seems clear from the press release that recommending an offset is under very serious consideration.

A Question About Part D

Many Social Security disability claimants are approved for Social Security Disability Insurance Benefits by an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ). It is taking so long to get an ALJ hearing that most of these claimants are now entitled to retroactive Medicare benefits, despite what amounts to a two and a half year waiting period for Medicare coverage. The mechanics of retroactive entitlement to Part A and Part B of Medicare are well established -- Part A coverage automatically goes back to the date of first eligibility and Part B goes back if the claimant asks that it go back and is willing to pay the back premiums. But what about Part D, the prescription drug benefit? Is there any way to get retroactive Part D Medicare coverage?

Social Security Financing Problem Disputed

David Francis reports in his Christian Science Monitor column that the annual report of the Social Security trustees may seriously overstate Social Security's funding problems. He relies upon David Langer, a New York actuary, who claims that there is actually no problem. The issue is how one predicts future economic growth. Very slow economic growth was assumed in the prediction that the Social Security trust funds will run out of money in 2040. According to the column, the slow growth assumptions were choosen deliberately to portray Social Security's situation in a bad light. Actually, no one can accurately predict economic growth in the 75 year period over which Social Security trust fund predictions are made. In the past, the economic growth projections used by Social Security's actuaries were too low. Assume more vigorous growth and there is little or no problem.

Reviewing Official Job Advertised

Social Security is now accepting applications for the Reviewing Official (RO) job that is a centerpiece of Commissioner Barnhart's plan to revamp the adjudication of disability claims. The job notice indicates that the positions will be in Falls Church, VA. No specific number of jobs is mentioned, only that there are "many vacancies." The job is at the GS 13 or GS 14 level and requires a fair amount of Social Security experience. Social Security is only accepting applications for the position through May 19.

Medicare Part D Implementation at SSA

Beatrice Disman, Chairman of Social Security's Medicare Planning and Implementation Task Force testified on May 3 to the Health Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee. She spoke on Social Security's efforts to implement Part D of Medicare, the prescription drug benefit. Her prepared remarks did not contain any statement on whether she believes that the signup period for Part D should be extended past the current May 15 deadline.

Fee Payments Down In April

Payments of fees to attorneys and others who qualify for direct payment for representing claimants before the Social Security Administration were 13% lower in April than in March, 2006, as well as down 13% from April 2005, in figures released by Social Security.

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-06	18,752	$64,848,326.02
Feb-06	20,426	$70,312.586.15
Mar-06	26,227	$91,045,934.83
Apr-06	23,042	$79,714,961.76