Social Security Bulletin Released

The Social Security Administration has released its latest edition of the Social Security Bulletin, its scholarly journal, which is mostly devoted to statistical articles. Here is a little excerpt from one article:

...male Social Security–covered workers born in 1941 who had average relative earnings in the top half of the earnings distribution and who lived to age 60 would be expected to live 5.8 more years than their counterparts in the bottom half." Trends in Mortality Differentials and Life Expectancy for Male Social Security-Covered Workers, by Socioeconomic Status

Fraud In Texas

From KLTV in Tyler, TX:

United States Attorney John L. Ratcliffe announced today that a Troup couple has pleaded guilty to Social Security benefits fraud in the Eastern District of Texas. Dale Lowery, 54, and Brenda Lowery, 48, both of Troup, were indicted in February 2008 and charged with theft of government property. They both pleaded guilty today before United States Magistrate Judge John D. Love. According to information presented in court, on August 31, 2003, Brenda Lowery applied for Social Security benefits ion behalf of her minor child on the grounds that the child's father, Dale Lowery, was disabled and receiving benefits. In the application, Lowery represented that the child was living with her and her husband and had lived with them for the previous 13 months. In 2005, Dale Lowery applied with the Social Security Administration to be the representative payee for the child and again represented that the child lived with him. In fact, the child had not lived with either parent since October 2002. As a result of the false applications, the Lowerys received over $28,000.00 in Social Security benefits to which they were not entitled.

Long Term Budgets For Entitlement Programs?

I regard enactment of this as a wildly implausible, but here it is, from the Capitol Insider, put out by the Disability Policy Collaboration:

A 16-member group of diverse and prominent economists and budget experts has proposed ending the automatic spending for large entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare, and instead establishing long-term budgets (to cover 30 years) which would have to be re-examined every 5 years. The group also suggested establishing a “trigger” which would force changes to the programs when costs go beyond levels anticipated in the long-term plans. The group, which included three former Directors of the Congressional Budget Office, was convened by the Brookings Institution and the Heritage Foundation, liberal-leaning and conservative-leaning think tanks, respectively. The group worked for nearly two years on the proposal, which members of the group consider a start to a “conversation” because they believe that continuing the status is not an option. The proposal would have to be considered in Congress and by the Administration before it could become law.

Satan Resides in D.C. Or At Least A Bunny

This is from the Washington Post.

New Mental Listings Coming

No proposed regulation can go in the Federal Register until the Office of Management and Budget, which is part of the White House, approves it. This item was just filed with OMB:

AGENCY: SSA	RIN: 0960-AF69
TITLE: Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Mental Disorders (886P)
STAGE: Proposed Rule	ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: No
** RECEIVED DATE: 04/10/2008	LEGAL DEADLINE: None

Empire Law Center Newsletter

The Empire Law Center of New York state has issued its March 2008 Disability Law newsletter, almost all of which is devoted to Social Security matters.

New Chair For Senate Appropriations?

Appropriations are key for the Social Security Administration. The chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are some of the most powerful people in our nation's capitol. Here is some news from Taegan Goddard's Political Wire:

With Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) ailing, Senate Democrats are eyeing Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) "as a potential backup if Byrd is unable to serve as manager for the next war supplemental," according to CQ Politics.

The news comes as the Politico reports rumors of possible coup to displace the 90 year old chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

"New stories were floated this week of agitation in the party's ranks over whether the West Virginian would be able to manage an upcoming wartime spending bill. But when fingers pointed to Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) as two agitators in the leadership, both offices issued indignant denials."

Something Coming On Cardiovascular Listings

The White House, through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) must approve all regulatory items appearing in the Federal Register. This item just appeared on the OMB website, indicating that OMB has completed its review:

Social Security Administration

AGENCY: SSA	RIN: 0960-AG74
TITLE: Revised Medical Criteria for Evaluating Cardiovascular Disorders (3477A)
STAGE: Prerule	ECONOMICALLY SIGNIFICANT: No
RECEIVED DATE: 03/27/2008	LEGAL DEADLINE: None
** COMPLETED: 04/09/2008	COMPLETED ACTION: Consistent without Change