Dec 21, 2024

WEP/GPO Bill Passes

      The bill to end the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset has passed its final Congressional step and will become law once President Biden signs it.

     I have a few questions about this:

  • What’s the effective date?
  • Can Social Security implement this without manual recalculations?
  • Were there any other provisions in the bill apart from WEP/GPO?

Goss Retiring

 


    Stephen Goss is retiring as Social Security’s Chief Actuary. He has been a public servant for 51 years. Republicans have complained about Goss over the years, basically because he told them the truth rather than the fantasies they like to believe. I fear that a right wing nut job will replace him.

Merry Christmas

 


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.

Merry Christmas

 


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.

It's OK To Feel Down At Christmas


 

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.