MSNBC On Claims Surge

From MSNBC:

According to the Social Security Administration, which runs the two main federal disability programs, new claims for disability benefits rose nearly 17 percent nationwide in fiscal year 2009, to 3 million. Disability filings are projected to rise another 10 percent in fiscal 2010, to 3.3 million new claims ...

Michael Astrue, commissioner of the Social Security Administration, understands the frustration of ... [those] who help disability applicants navigate the system.

“If I were in their shoes, I’d be concerned too,” Astrue said, acknowledging that his organization doesn’t have the best track record when it comes to processing claims in a speedy and efficient manner. In some parts of the country, disability applicants can wait years before they get a final decision.

“Where we’re having the biggest problems are states that have a combination of two things: One, the economy is very bad; and two, the state has embraced furloughs," Astrue said. "California, Wisconsin, Ohio are three of the states where we’re really struggling now.”

Wellness Programs For Social Security Employees

From a notice posted by Social Security on FedBizOpps.gov:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) is conducting a market survey to seek sources that can provide a comprehensive workplace wellness program for its 67,000 employees located nationwide. SSA envisions this Program to encompass two major parts-the first part being on-line services for health education to include, but not limited to, such topics as: fitness, nutrition, disease management/prevention, emotional/mental well being, stress, and safety. This on-line portion should be a "one-stop shop" for all services, information, and programs SSA offers to employees. The second part of this Program requires the services of professionally certified experts in fitness, nutrition and health to provide individualized coaching services to all employees as well as administer and support the online product for SSA employees nationwide.

Social Security Bulletin

The latest issue of the Social Security Bulletin, the agency's scholarly publication, has been released.

Hearing On National Computer Center

Two Subcommittees of the House Ways and Means Committee held a joint hearing yesterday on Social Security's project to replace its National Computer Center. The written statements for that hearing are now available online. I see nothing noteworthy in the statements but I will confess that I have not been following this as closely as some others, such as contractors, local governments who want the facility in their backyard, Social Security employees who may be assigned to work at the new facility, etc.

Number Of Social Security Employees Jumps

Below are the June 2009 figures for the number of employees at Social Security, recently released by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), along with earlier figures for comparison purposes.

• June 2009 66,614
  
• March 2009 63,229
  
• December 2008 63,733
  
• September 2008 63,990
  
• June 2008 63,622
  
• March 2008 60,465
  
• December 2007 61,822
• September 2007 62,407
• June 2007 62,530
• March 2007 61,867
• December 2006 63,410
• September 2006 63,647
• September 2005 66,147
• September 2004 65,258
• September 2003 64,903
• September 2002 64,648
• September 2001 65,377
• September 2000 64,521
• September 1999 63,957
• September 1998 65,629

What Is This?

A press release:

Former Space Shuttle Commander Rick Searfoss lays out in detail Attorney Eric C. Conn's qualifications to be appointed to the Social Security Advisory Board. Searfoss was number one in his United States Air Force Academy class and later went on to command the STS-90 mission on Colombia, which was the most complex scientific research mission flown to date. Presently Searfoss is a speaker in high demand as an inspirational speaker to corporations.

The Social Security Advisory Board is an independent, bipartisan board created by Congress and appointed by the President and the Congress to advise the President, the Congress, and the Commissioner of Social Security on matters related to the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs. Conn wants to be appointed by President Obama to this board.

Searfoss outlines Conn's qualifications to serve on the Board. Conn's law practice had modest beginnings in a singlewide trailer. Searfoss discusses Conn having been an Eagle Scout and having joined the U.S. Army out of high school. Conn's educational background is outlined from undergraduate through law school. Searfoss observes that Conn is a Mensan, which is an organization that only accepts those who have an IQ in the top two percent of the population. Searfoss discusses Conn's Gulf War service as a decorated company commander. Conn is board certified by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification in Social Security Disability Law.

Conn launched his campaign in a video with legendary bluegrass singer Ralph Stanley and model/actress Amber Ettinger, more widely known as the "Obama girl." Stanley endorsed President Obama during his successful presidential campaign. Conn's law office has over 35 employees. Conn's law practice as of December 13, 2009 has processed over 2000 Social Security Disability and SSI cases.

I Sure Am Glad We Have Conquered Diabetes!

From a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) in the Federal Register today:

Because of advances in medical treatment and detection, most endocrine disorders do not reach listing-level severity because they do not become sufficiently severe or do not remain at a sufficient level of severity long enough to meet our 12-month duration requirement. This is true even for people who have recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia or of diabetic acidosis (also called diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA), a serious outcome of uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Current listings 9.08B and 109.08A, which provide criteria for people who have recurrent episodes of DKA, and listing 109.08B, which provides a criterion for children who have recurrent episodes of hypoglycemia, reflect an earlier view that people with wide fluctuations in their blood glucose levels had uncontrollable DM. We consulted with endocrinologists, diabetologists, and other medical experts who treat DM, and they indicated that the current listings reflect only inadequate glucose regulation. The information we obtained from these experts and relevant medical references demonstrates that adequate glucose regulation is achievable with improved treatment options, such as a wider range of insulin products.

For these reasons, we believe that, with one exception, we should no longer have listings in sections 9.00 and 109.00 based on endocrine disorders alone, and we are proposing to remove all such current endocrine listings. The sole exception is for children under age 6 who have DM and require daily insulin.

McPaper Notices State Furlough Problems

From USA Today:

Millions of Americans are waiting longer for unemployment checks, disability payments and food stamps as states furlough workers who process the benefits. ...

The number of people waiting for their first disability checks increased 38% in 2009 to 768,666, according to the Social Security inspector general. Nationally, the average length of time to process a claim went from 81 days in 2008 to 83 days in 2009. ...

Furloughing workers who help the needy is "fundamentally irrational," says Social Security Commissioner Michael Astrue. Disability, unemployment and food stamps are funded by the federal government. "People should be getting their benefits."