Senate Subcommittee Reports Out Appropriations Bill

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee having jurisdiction over Social Security's operating budget has reported out a bill that would fund the agency in fiscal year (FY) 2010 at the same rate as proposed by President Obama. The same amount has already been passed by the entire House of Representatives. The bill must now go on to the full Senate Appropriations Committe and then to the full Senate before going to a Conference Committee to work out differences between the House and Senate. Final passage before the beginning of the FY 2010 on October 1 is not assured, but things are looking vastly better than in recent years when Social Security was forced to work under a continuing funding resolution for many months into the fiscal year. The uncertainty caused by working under continuing funding resolutions has been extremely problemmatic for Social Security.

Compassionate Allowance Hearing

A press release from Social Security:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today [Wednesday] hosted the agency’s fourth public hearing on Compassionate Allowances. Commissioner Astrue was joined by Marie A. Bernard, M.D., Deputy Director of the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, and other Social Security officials. They heard testimony from some of the nation’s leading experts on early-onset Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias about possible methods for identifying and implementing Compassionate Allowances for people with early-onset Alzheimer’s.

“This year, through Compassionate Allowances and our Quick Disability Determination process, over 100,000 Americans with severe disabilities will be approved for Social Security disability benefits in a matter of days rather than the months and years it can sometimes take,” said Commissioner Astrue. “We are now looking to add more diseases and impairments to these expedited processes. With today’s hearing, we are expanding our focus from specific rare diseases and cancers to look at subgroups of much broader conditions. Early-onset Alzheimer’s disease is a rapidly progressive and debilitating disease of the brain that affects individuals between the ages of 50 and 65 and clearly deserves our consideration.”

In October 2008, Social Security launched Compassionate Allowances to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants with medical conditions so severe that their conditions by definition meet Social Security's standards. To learn more and to view a web cast of today’s hearing, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

“With the aging of the baby-boomers, we are beginning to see more, younger working Americans diagnosed with this devastating disease,” Commissioner Astrue said. “I want to thank the Alzheimer’s Association and their staff, particularly Harry Johns, President and CEO. Their help has been invaluable and many of the witnesses are here at their suggestion. Together, we hope to identify the most severe cases that can be included in our Compassionate Allowances process.”

Big Contract For AT&T

From a press release:

The AT&T Government Solutions business unit has won an award worth approximately $80 million from the Social Security Administration (SSA). ...

Under the terms of the award, AT&T Government Solutions will serve as the secondary data network service provider for the SSA's Enterprise-Wide Network Infrastructure (SSANet), which provides the critical foundation for all information exchanges with the agency's enterprise network.

Senior Attorney Job Openings

From the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) which represents staff attorneys at Social Security:

I am pleased to announce that the Commissioner has decided to substantially increase the staffing of the Senior Attorney positions over the next 15 months. The Agency plans on initially re-promoting most of those employees that held senior attorney positions in the 1995 Senior Attorney Program and then doing at least four series of vacancy announcements starting with the end of this fiscal year. I have already requested specifics regarding the number and exact time frame of the promotions.

I emphasize that these are all permanent positions. It has always been my “number one” priority to obtain permanent GS-13 positions for those attorneys unfairly demoted in 1998 and to give promotional opportunities to the deserving attorneys unfairly stagnated at the GS-12 level. This is a giant step toward reaching that goal as we more than double the number of NTEU represented Senior Attorneys.

This is all very good news. It is the result of many years work by the Union. Why has it finally come to fruition? The answer is simple: The administration of Commissioner Michael Astrue. As you are aware, since becoming Commissioner, Mr. Astrue has addressed the many needs of SSA and particularly the disability program with a great deal of vigor. He is determined to eliminate the backlog and is prepared to take whatever steps are necessary. There have been massive hires of ALJs and supporting staff. The level of these hires is far in excess of any in the past. Additionally, many new hearing offices will be created and staffed during the next year. The list of other changes and initiatives launched by Commissioner Astrue is extensive.

NTEU does not agree with all of the Commissioner’s initiatives. However, when it comes to improving service, the Commissioner has demonstrated an interest in working cooperatively with NTEU. The Commissioner is an attorney, and he recognizes the unique skills that attorneys bring to the Social Security Administration. He also recognizes that NTEU has a long history of working cooperatively with the Agency to improve the service we provide the public. We approached him in such a mode and he has responded favorably. He listened to our presentation regarding the benefits of attorney adjudication, and despite his initial skepticism, reviewed the facts we presented and decided it was in the best interest of the Agency’s goals to launch the Attorney Adjudicator Program. During the last year we have advocated a substantial increase in the Attorney Adjudicator Program and have discussed the matter with the Commissioner and his senior advisers on multiple occasions. The Commissioner has determined that it is in the best interest of the Agency’s goals to significantly increase the staffing of the Senior Attorney position. The Commissioner’s decision to promote many GS-12 attorneys into the GS-13 Senior Attorney position demonstrates a major commitment to Senior Attorney adjudication.

Eligibility for these promotions for the first slots is limited to those with 3 years experience as an attorney adviser in ODAR with at least one year at the GS-12 level. Eligibility for the remainder of the promotions is predicated on one year at the GS-12 level in ODAR. In addition to the promotions, the Agency will charter a high level workgroup with NTEU having a prominent role. The charter will be to improve the current Attorney Adjudicator program and study the need for GS-14 supervisor and bargaining unit positions.

These promotions are the result of a long series of discussions based on cooperation between the Union and Management for the purpose of better serving the public. We intend, and I believe the Commissioner intends, to continue the policy of cooperation with those who seek to improve the disability process.

Finally, congratulations to all those who will be promoted.


-- Jim Hill

You note the distinctly different tone of this message from what you read from the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents most Social Security employees. I am not trying to explain what is cause and what is effect, just noting the difference.

YouTube And Social Security Disability

From News4 in Tuscon, AZ:

With the help from a friend, Gayle Debilbiss posted a YouTube video as a last ditch effort. At 54-years-old, she's too young for Social Security and according to the government she's not disabled enough for disability.

Debilbiss has a number of ailments but in January was diagnosed with stage three and four non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. ...

A spokesperson with the Social Security Administration says they will re-review Debilbiss' case to make sure everything was done right.

However, he says Social Security Disability has some of the strictest qualifications, basically only people who are severely disabled, for more than a year, or who have an illness expected to end in death can qualify.

Alzheimer's Group To Attend Hearing

From the Cedar Rapids Gazette:

A dozen Linn County residents will attend a Social Security Administration hearing [held by Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue] Wednesday in Chicago to learn about benefit changes for people with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

The Alzheimer’s Association is pushing to eliminate a two-year wait for disability benefits [they must mean Medicare] after someone is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, said Kelly Hauer, executive director of the group’s Eastern Iowa chapter. Typically, those people lose their jobs and their insurance, causing financial and emotional distress, she said.

It would help if Social Security permitted them to collect a so-called “compassionate allowance,” Hauer said.

The Linn County delegation, including Alzheimer’s sufferers and their care partners, was invited to attend the hearing in Chicago. They won’t testify but will submit written statements.

“It’s a big deal,” Hauer said.

"Doesn't Necessarily Mean You're Fine"

From the Rochester Post-Bulletin:

Three years into retirement, William Dunn of Rochester thought all was going well. Then he received a nine-page letter from the Social Security Administration that caught him off guard.

The letter, dated May 11, said he'd been overpaid and owed the administration $6,114....

"I've been enjoying retirement too much to work," he said. "I knew something was messed up."

Dunn appealed the letter and is waiting for the administration's investigation to be complete....

Carmen Moreno, communications director for Social Security in the Chicago region, said, "Just because you're getting benefits doesn't necessarily mean they're fine."

If you went only by what you heard from Social Security's Office of Inspector General you would believe that overpayments happen only because of fraud by claimants. There is some of that, but there is also a lot of what happened to Mr. Dunn.

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Markup Scheduled

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 appropriations bill that covers Social Security has been reported out of the House Appropriations Committee and should come up on the floor of the House of Representatives in the near future. The Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee that covers the Labor-HHS-Education bill that includes Social Security has scheduled a markup session for Tuesday, July 28. This does not guarantee that the appropriations bill will be enacted by October 1, 2009, the beginning of FY 2010, but Congress is making much more progress towards that goal than in other recent years.