Headlines
Pingree urges Social Security to expedite claims for more disabled veterans
Congresswoman Chellie Pingree today asked the Social Security Administration to give special consideration in the disability claims process to veterans whom the Department of Veterans Affairs has deemed unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. In a letter signed by 13 other…
White House To Convene Disability Summit
For the first time, a White House event will bring together experts from across the country to address the unique health and fitness concerns of those with disabilities. The two-day White House Summit and Research Forum on Improved Health and…
The $400,000 Social Security Mistake
Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX) opened today’s hearings on Social Security with grim statistics. Unless Congress acts, Americans receiving disability benefits won’t get full benefits starting in 2016, and when Americans who are 48 today reach full retirement age in 2033,…
Social Security data, smartphone encryption and DHS HQ
The Social Security Administration lacks a consistent policy for allowing mobile devices to securely connect to agency systems, potentially putting sensitive data at risk, according to a recent report from SSA’s Office of the Inspector General. Auditors found that 30…
Let’s talk about Medicare
October is “Talk About Prescriptions Month” and marks the beginning of this year’s Medicare open enrollment period. It’s the perfect time to talk about Medicare prescriptions and the Extra Help available from Social Security. Newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries and current…
Medicare shortfall demands attention
At Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, there was recently a gathering of major healthcare public policy experts, senior staff of congressional health committees, and people concerned about both the health of Medicare and the health of the nation’s fiscal situation.…
Social Security and You: Seen any Martians lately?
About 40 years ago, a national organization conducted a poll of people in their 20s and asked them this question: “In the future, do you think you are more likely to see a Martian or to see a Social Security…
OK to Limit Medicare Provider Choices, but Don’t Cut Benefits
Mindful of the possible political consequences, as a rule, elected officials avoid making difficult decisions about Medicare, so one group of researchers decided to grant participants in a series of focus groups that authority to see what they would decide.…
Modernize Disability Benefits So People With Disabilities Can Work
So much of our society has changed over the past 60 years. We have made tremendous progress in technology, medicine, education – and in the recognition that all people must be treated equally. Why is it, then, that we continue…
It happens: Seniors with student debt - and smaller Social Security checks
It’s a rude awakening for a growing number of seniors: They file for Social Security, then discover that the federal government plans to take part of their benefit to pay off delinquent student loans, tax bills, child support or alimony.…