Dec 21, 2024
Goss Retiring
Dec 20, 2024
Chiropractic Office Involved In Fraud Scheme
From a press release:
The 25th patient of a Jefferson County, Missouri chiropractic office involved in a multi-million dollar disability fraud conspiracy was sentenced Wednesday as part of an ongoing fraud investigation. Six more patients are set for sentencing next year. ...
The two chiropractors who owned and operated PowerMed Inc., Thomas G. Hobbs and Vivian Carbone-Hobbs, are in federal prison, serving four-year prison terms. Hobbs was ordered to repay $4.3 million; Carbone-Hobbs was ordered to repay $16.4 million. ...
Many patients worked at Anheuser-Busch. ...
[The chiropractors] charged patients fees of thousands of dollars to prepare disability forms and coach them on how to lie about their ability to perform basic daily tasks such as lifting, standing, walking, sitting and taking care of their personal needs. According to evidence and testimony presented at the trials ... some patients were presented with a “Disability Package Pricing” sheet that listed the fees ranging as high as $8,600 for PowerMed to handle various disability claims options, including qualifying for Social Security disability, short-term disability, private insurance and insurance that would pay off auto or other loans. The total fees exceeded more than $13,000 for some patients. ...
I don't understand how anything coming from a chiropractor's office could have much impact on a disability claim. They sure don't when they come up -- legitimately -- in my clients’ cases.
Dec 19, 2024
WEP/GPO Bill Advances While Government Shutdown Looms
The Hill reports that the bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset passed a crucial vote in the Senate yesterday 73-27. This isn’t final passage but the margin suggests that the bill is likely to pass. It has already been passed the House of Representatives.
In other legislative news, President-elect Trump seems to be ordering a government shutdown. At least he’s ordering Republican legislators not to vote for the Continuing Resolution they just negotiated with Democrats. The GOP can’t pass the CR without Democratic votes in this Congress and probably not in the next. Most of Social Security will stay open if the shutdown happens beginning December 20 but there would be no money to continue paying salaries for long. I have no idea what the endgame is here.
If you voted for Trump, this is the chaos you voted for.
Dec 18, 2024
CR Contains Nothing For Social Security
The text of the Continuing Resolution to prevent a government shutdown is out. I see no additional funding for Social Security operations, not that I was expecting any.
WEP/GPO Bill Expected To.Reach Senate Floor Today
The bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, which has already passed the House of Representatives, is expected to reach the Senate floor today.