Results Of Most Recent Unscientific Poll

The $250 economic stimulus checks are coming out now. What response are you seeing to these checks?

I haven't been getting calls about the checks. (30)	42%
I've gotten a few calls about the checks, but nothing much. (12)	17%
I've been getting quite a few calls about the checks. (4)	6%
I've been bombarded with calls about the checks to the point that it's hard to get anything else done. (2)	3%
I'm not in a position to be getting calls about these checks. (19)	26%
$250 economic stimulus checks? What are you talking about? (5)	7%

Total Votes: 72

Viewpoints On The Trust Funds

The National Academy of Social Insurance (NASI) sponsored a briefing on Friday where experts discussed the recently released Social Security Trustees report. Social Security's Chief Actuary Stephen Goss, Henry Aaron of the Brookings Institute and Charles Blauhous of the Hudson Institute, among others, spoke. The visuals prepared by the speakers are available online and are worth a look. Here is an excerpt from the materials prepared by Henry Aaron that caught my eye:

One-year change in value

Vanguard Prime Money Market [Mutual Fund]+ 1.97 %
Vanguard Total Bond Market Index [Mutual Fund] + 3.85 %
[Vanguard] Target Retirement 2010 [Mutual Fund] -19.23 %
[Vanguard] Target Retirement 2050 [Mutual Fund] -32.43 %
S&P 500 Index -35.31 %
[Vanguard] Total International Stock [Mutual Fund] -43.11 %
Social Security + 5.8 %
Social Security = Security

By the way, if I had to guess, I would guess that we are likely to see Congress enacting some increase in Social Security benefit payments next year, despite the fact that the statutory cost of living adjustment formula would not grant such an increase. I would be surprised to see any action to address the long term solvency issues with the Social Security trust funds. in the next two years. Barbara Kennelly of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare mentioned giving a "cost of living adjustment" to Social Security recipients despite the lack of an increase in the cost of living when she spoke on Thursday at the NOSSCR Conference. That was the first time I have heard that idea mentioned, but I am pretty sure that it will not be the last time I hear it mentioned. Doing this makes great political sense for Democrats. Yes, I know it is a bit irresponsible. The best defense I can give is that it is not nearly as irresponsible as ending the retirement earnings test, which the Republicans did just after taking control of Congress in 1994.

Update: Actually, the end of the retirement earnings test came in 1996 for those above full retirement age. It was part of the Contract with America Advancement Act.

New Role For Social Security?

From today's New York Times (emphasis added):

The government could rein in aggressive marketing practices of health insurance companies, regulate their premiums and allow workers to drop out of group health plans to seek a better deal on their own under legislation being developed by leading Democratic senators. ...

Under the Senate proposals, everyone would be required to carry insurance. The requirement would take effect in 2013 ...

In addition, most employers would be required to offer insurance to their full-time workers, or else pay a special tax. The government would set minimum standards for benefits ...

Consumers could sign up for insurance at hospitals, schools, Social Security offices and state departments of motor vehicles.

What Do You Think?

From a Social Security press release:

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has given Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, their Public Health Leadership Award. The award was presented at the 2009 NORD Gala at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The NORD Gala is an annual event at which researchers and others are honored for significant achievements to improve the lives of people with rare diseases.

In recognizing Commissioner Astrue, NORD noted “his focus on reducing the disability backlog and improving service to the public.” A key component of the Commissioner’s backlog reduction plan is the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, a way to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security’s standards. Social Security worked closely with NORD in developing the expedited decision process which was launched in October 2008 with a total of 50 conditions -- 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers.

Updated Fee Payment Information

The Social Security Administration has released the following updated information on payments of fees to attorneys and others for representing Social Security claimants:

Fee Payments
Month/Year	Volume	Amount
Jan-09	28,423	$101,128,880.69
Feb-09	31,352	$112,791,207.17
Mar-09	29,199	$104,155,187.96
Apr-09	30,963	$110,133,425.19

Speaking Of The King

I Wouldn't Read Much Into This

The Associated Press has an article about a question that President Obama answered today about the possibility of increasing income limits for recipients of Social Security disability benefits. He is not opposed but he would like any change to be part of a broader review of entitlement programs.

From The NOSSCR Conference -- Nancy Shor

Nancy Shor, the Executive Director of the National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR), spoke at the NOSSCR Conference (of course). Here are some points I picked up from her speech:

• She is concerned about the concept of a revolving fund in the budget for efforts to reduce "fraud" at Social Security. She thinks this could create incentives for Social Security to go overboard with Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs).
• Bills are pending in Congress to eliminate the five month waiting period for Title II Social Security disability benefits and the twenty-four month waiting period for Medicare for the disabled.
• She hopes to have a Senate sponsor within ten to fourteen days for legislation that would raise the cap on attorney fees under the fee agreement process to the full extent of inflation, almost $6,300 and to include an automatic adjustment for inflation in the future. John Lewis is already sponsoring the legislation in the House.
  
• She predicts that Social Security will not be able to send out 1099s to attorneys and others who represent Social Security claimants even in 2010. The holdup is new regulations on recognizing entities as representing claimants.
• Ms. Shor believes that Social Security may have to publish a new Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) on recognizing entities as representatives of claimants because things may change so much from the NPRM published last year.
• Claimants' attorneys may have to use a "fob" device to obtain an code to access their clients' records electronically. Apparently, the fobs are easy to come by and inexpensive. These are already used to access some bank records.