Scrooge Cadre?

An anonymous poster on the ALJ Discussion Forum says that the Social Security administration is planning to create a "cadre" of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) to hear Social Security overpayment cases. This is being referred to as a "Scrooge cadre" since it is speculated that Social Security wants to reduce the number of cases in which overpayments are being waived.

Can anyone confirm this?

Health Care Reform Matters Now

A couple of items from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's blog on the immediate effects of the health care bill that was just signed into law:

IF YOU ARE A SMALL BUSINESSES OWNER:

SMALL BUSINESS TAX CREDITS—Offers tax credits to small businesses to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be immediately available. Effective beginning for calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2014, small business tax credits will cover 50 percent of premiums.)
...

COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTERS—Increases funding for Community Health Centers to allow for nearly doubling the number of patients served over the next 5 years. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.

The first one matters a lot to those of us who represent claimants. The second is important to everyone. Inadequate medical care is a huge problem for Social Security disability claimants. Often, Social Security disability claimants' health suffer as a result of inadequate medical care. The lack of decent medical records also makes it more difficult for claimants to win their Social Security disability cases.

Palin Targets Chair Of Social Security Subcommittee

Sarah Palin has revealed a list of 17 Democrats in the House of Representatives that she is targeting for removal from Congress because they voted for health care reform. On the list is Earl Pomeroy, the Chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee.

Click here to make a campaign contribution to Representative Pomeroy.

More Patty Duke

A press release from Social Security:

Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today joined award-winning actress Patty Duke and the cast of her hit 1960s sitcom, The Patty Duke Show, to unveil Social Security’s newest online service – an application for Medicare benefits. This new online application, which takes less than 10 minutes to complete, is for people reaching the Medicare eligibility age of 65 who want to delay filing for Social Security retirement benefits. Currently about a half million Americans enroll in Medicare each year without applying for monthly benefits.

“Social Security’s online services are the best in all of government and exceed the top private sector companies in customer satisfaction,” Commissioner Astrue said. “The new Medicare application is a welcome addition to our suite of online services and will make it easier than ever to sign up for Medicare. I am thrilled that Patty Duke has once again volunteered to help us get the word out. The fact that this time her TV family has joined her makes this even more special and I thank William Schallert, Eddie Applegate, and Paul O’Keefe for their service to America. I also want to thank Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner, who appeared with Patty as a befuddled family physician in some of our spots.” ...

To view the new public service announcements featuring the cast of The Patty Duke Show, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly.

I would embed the video if I could.

I Wish It Were True, But It's NOT TRUE!

From The Daily Tribune of Oakland County, Michigan:

People with early-onset Alzheimer's disease or any of 37 other diseases now are eligible for Medicare benefits without having to wait two years after being diagnosed.

Currently, the Social Security Administration has a "compassionate allowance" for people with any of 50 different diseases, most of which are fatal, that allows the patient to begin receiving medical coverage under Medicare without being 65 or having to comply with the mandatory two-year wait after becoming eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance.

"These patients will no longer be stuck in 'no-man's land' in regards to medical coverage," said Carrie Collins, the client access director for the Alzheimer's Association.

I have no idea where this came from but it is completely wrong. There are only two exceptions to the two year waiting period for Medicare, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The ESRD exception is only for Part A of Medicare. I hope the Alzheimer's Association nationally is not spreading this nonsense. The Commissioner of Social Security has no authority to change that.

Yeah, Right

The New York Times thinks that "Now that landmark legislation overhauling the health insurance system is about to become law, addressing Social Security’s solvency could well become the next big thing for President Obama and Congressional Democrats. "

All we need is for Democrats and Republicans to agree on benefit cuts and tax increases. What could be difficult about that?

Representative Suite Of Services Delayed?

Below is an excerpt from a memo that Social Security sent out last October. I don't think this happened, at least not in the sort of numbers that Social Security was talking about at the time. What happened?

Between December 2009 and mid-March 2010, SSA will mail invitations to 3,100 representatives, inviting them to register online and use our appointed representative services. A list of representatives selected to receive invitations for Phase I can be found on the Front Line Resource Kit at: http://eis.ba.ssa.gov/oesweb/frontline/resource_kits/Disability%20Direct_Resource_Kit.html

Pomeroy A Yes On Health Care Reform

Earl Pomeroy, the new Chairman of the House Social Security Subcommittee, had earlier voted for the health care reform bill. It has been unclear how he would vote this time around. CNN is now reporting that Pomeroy plans to vote for the bill. Pomeroy may have a tight race for re-election. He may be looking to make as much as possible out of his new role as a Ways and Means Subcommittee chairman.