New Children's Listings Proposed

     From today's Federal Register:

Several body systems in our Listing of Impairments (listings) contain listings for children based on impairment of linear growth or weight loss. We propose to replace those listings with new listings, add a listing to the genitourinary body system for children, and provide new introductory text for each listing explaining how to apply the new criteria.

Witness List For Social Security Subcommittee Hearing

     Here's the witness list for tomorrow's hearing before the House Social Security Subcommittee on "Bipartisan Entitlement Reform Proposals":

• Ed Lorenzen
  Executive Director, The Moment of Truth Project, Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
• G. William Hoagland
  Senior Vice President, Bipartisan Policy Center
• Jason Fichtner, Ph.D.
  Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center
• Leticia Miranda
  Senior Policy Advisor, Economic Security Policy, National Council of La Raza
• Donald Fuerst
  Senior Pension Fellow, American Academy of Actuaries
• C. Eugene Steuerle, Ph.D.
  Institute Fellow, Urban Institute

    The "Moment of Truth Project" is basically Simpson-Bowles. It's a shame that Alan Simpson won't be testifying. The Bipartisan Policy Center is on record favoring "entitlement" cuts.   Mercatus is a Koch brothers front organization. La Raza and the Urban Institute can be expected to have a liberal attitude toward the budget. The Actuaries may be neutral, as in laying out the options. The Actuaries "Social Security Game" is still the best thing out there on Social Security's long term financing issues. Try it. You'll like it and probably learn from it.

It's Not A Good Idea To Mess With Social Security

     A false rumor about the demise of Social Security in Brazil led to a run on banks in that country.

Social Security Subcommittee Announces Hearing

     From a press release:

U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security, today announced the third in a series of hearings on the President’s and other bipartisan entitlement reform proposals.  This hearing will focus on proposed adjustments to Social Security benefits, as included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2014 Budget, the report by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, and the report of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Debt Reduction Task Force.  The hearing will take place on Thursday, May 23, 2013, in B-318 Rayburn House Office Building, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Call Me Maybe?

     From a notice of final rule-making set to appear in the Federal Register tomorrow:

To address recent court cases, we are making final the rules that allow the ALJ to determine that a person other than the claimant or any other party to the hearing may appear at the hearing by telephone. In a recent Federal case, a District Court Judge held that we could not take a medical expert’s testimony by telephone without prior notice to the claimant, and over the claimant’s objections, unless we amended our regulations to allow witnesses to appear by telephone. Edwards v. Astrue, No. 3:10cv1017, 2011 WL 3490024 (D. Conn. Aug. 10, 2011). Other courts have made similar rulings. These final rules address concerns raised in Edwards and other cases.... 

Our final rules provide that the ALJ will determine how any person other than the claimant or any other party to the hearing will appear at the hearing, whether in person, by video teleconferencing, or by telephone. If the ALJ determines that any person will appear at the hearing by telephone, the ALJ will notify the claimant and any other party to the hearing in advance of the hearing. If th e claimant or any other party to the hearing objects to any other person appearing by video teleconferencing or by telephone, the ALJ will decide how that person will appear. Our final rules also clarify that the claimant or any other party to the hearing may request to appear at the hearing by telephone. The ALJ will allow the claimant or other party to appear by telephone if the ALJ determines that extraordinary circumstances exist which prevent the claimant or other party from appearing in person or by video teleconferencing.

Yelp Reviews A Field Office

     Yelp allows anyone to post a review of just about any entity dealing with the public and that includes Social Security field offices. Most field offices have not been reviewed but the field office in San Francisco's Chinatown has received quite some interesting reviews. Members of the public should expect lines and delays at that office but the Social Security employees do speak Chinese!

Transition Report For The New Commissioner Of Social Security

     The Strengthen Social Security Coalition has produced a "Transition Report for the New Commissioner of Social Security", not that there is any sign that President will soon nominate a new Commissioner.
     Below is the press conference at which the report was introduced.      A bit more could have been done to promote this report and press conference.

News From NOSSCR Conference

     Here are a few items from yesterday's National Organization of Social Security Claimants Representatives (NOSSCR) Conference in Washington:

• David Camp received the Eileen Sweeney Distinguised Service Award. Camp spearheaded the legal assault on the "secret ALJ" policy.
• Acting Commissioner Carolyn Colvin said that Social Security is now 60 days out in scheduling appointments with its field offices, that is, that if you call in wanting to make an appointment to transact business with the agency, expect a 60 day wait. She also related that she had recently visited the agency's field office in Alexandria, VA. She was told that customers were lining up starting at 7:30 in the morning. The office opens at 9:00.
• Glenn Sklar, Social Security's Deputy Commissioner for Disability Adjudication and Review, said that his agency expects to introduce an Appeals Council status report in August 2013 as part of its appointed representative services package. He also showed a chart demonstrating that more than 25% of claimants now receive their hearings by video.
• Nancy Shor, NOSSCR's retiring Executive Director, received two well deserved standing ovations. She said that she was hearing the idea of time limited disability benefits more and more often.