Bush Not Done With Social Security Reform -- Democrats Celebrate

From a speech by President Bush on June 27:

As you might recall, I addressed that issue last year, focusing on Social Security reform. I'm not through talking about the issue. I spent some time today in the Oval Office with the United States senators, and they're not through talking about the issue either. It's important for this country -- (applause) -- I know it's hard politically to address these issues. Sometimes it just seems easier for people to say, we'll deal with it later on. Now is the time for the Congress and the President to work together to reform Medicare and reform Social Security so we can leave behind a solvent balance sheet for our next generation of Americans. (Applause.)

If we can't get it done this year, I'm going to try next year. And if we can't get it done next year, I'm going to try the year after that, because it is the right thing to do. It's just so easy to say, let somebody else deal with it. Now is the time to solve the problems of Medicare and Social Security, and I want your help. I need the Manhattan Institute to continue to agitate for change and reform. You've got a big voice. You got creative thinkers, and if you don't mind, I'd like to put this on your agenda, and let you know the White House and members of the Senate and the House are anxious to deal with this issue and get it done once and for all.

Electronic Records Express

Posted yesterday on a Social Security website:

Electronic Records Express is an initiative by Social Security and state Disability Determination Services (DDS) to increase use of electronic options for submitting health or school records related to disability claims. An Electronic Records Express website will soon be available.

You can use electronic processes now. Contact your state DDS Professional Relations Officer to learn how.

Flooding in Baltimore

The Baltimore Sun reports that heavy rains have caused flooding in the Baltimore area, where Social Security's headquarters are located. There is no report of flooding at any Social Security office, but it is inevitable that central office operations will be disrupted to at least a modest degree because some employees will be unable to get to work because of damage to their homes or because of travel difficulties.

OIG Report on CPMS

Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has produced a report on Social Security's Case Processing and Management System (CPMS), a major part of the EDIB paperless file plan. Here is a brief summary from the report:

The CPMS management reports we tested were accurate, though ODAR managers did not always use the CPMS reports in their workload management. For instance, we found that claims were not being processed timely because the hearing offices were waiting extended periods of time for the claim folder to be sent from the FOs. Although the CPMS management reports noted the delays, hearing office managers were not taking action on these claims. Hearing office employees told us they received adequate CPMS training, and we observed that they were skilled at using CPMS to manage their workloads. However, we found that hearing office staff need training in using the appropriate codes for tracking potentially violent claimants. Moreover, CPMS does not have an electronic indicator on the scheduling sheet that would allow hearing office employees to readily identify potentially violent claimants prior to their hearing. Finally, SCTs told us they need additional training in extracting pertinent claim information from SSA’s systems related to incoming claims

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Woman Sentenced For Social Security Fraud

Gloria Rankin of Springfield, Massachusetts has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for making false statements to Social Security so that she could continue to receive Social Security benefits for her children after they were removed from her custody, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office.

SSI Recipients By County

Social Security has released statistics on the number of SSI recipients by county. As boring as this sounds, it is useful to attorneys who represent Social Security claimants, because it shows where the prospective clients live -- and that does not correspond as closely as one might think to the total population of an area.

Payments to Dead People

Social Security has had a problem over the years with paying benefits to people who have died. Great strides have been made in dealing with this problem and the number of cases of improper payments to deceased individuals has been dramatically decreased, but some problems remain. Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has recently compared the Department of Veteran's Affairs list of deceased veterans against the Social Security benefit rolls and found Social Security benefits being paid to 228 deceased veterans. Since the VA itself cannot be aware of all veterans' deaths and since most Social Security benefits recipients are not veterans, the true scope of the problem has to be quite a bit bigger.

SSA To Hold Leadership Symposium in Boston in December

The Social Security Administration is seeking hotel space in Boston for a "Leadership Symposium" from December 4 through December 7. It seems more than likely that this has something to do with the Disability Service Improvement plan that begins in the Boston Region on August 1. Here is an excerpt from the solicitation:

The Social Security Administration has a requirement for a hotel that can provide the necessary services for a conference to be held in Boston, MA on December 4, 2006 through December 7, 2006. Sleeping rooms are not part of this acquisition, as attendees are responsible for making their own reservations for sleeping rooms. However, the facility must be able to accommodate 175 sleeping rooms for the nights of the conference. The facility must be able to provide meeting room/ballroom space(3,400 sq. ft) to accommodate 175 participants for plenary sessions, five soundproof breakout session rooms (each 700 sq ft), and audiovisual equipment to include LCD projectors, screens, electrical cords, carts, microphone and podium, flipcharts, and flipchart paper and markers. The facility must also provide full catering services for morning and afternoon breaks, one evening reception, and two mandatory lunches.

Update -- June 22, 2006: Social Security is already changing its mind on the date for the conference. It is now listed as being either January 16-19, 2007 or January 29-February 1, 2007.