Latest News
Prime hospitals defend Medicare practices
In response to an amended whistle-blower lawsuit filed last week, Prime Healthcare Services, Inc. this week continued to defend its hospitals’ Medicare practices, reiterating its earlier claim that accusations the chain systematically reports inflated billings and defrauded the federal government…
Disability Benefits on a Fast Track
An applicant with a medical condition that’s included in Social Security’s ‘compassionate allowances’ program can get a benefits decision within days. t used to be that some people with serious disabilities would die before the Social Security Administration finally got around…
A Millennial’s Case for Fixing Social Security
Instead of giving up of Social Security, Millennials should push an easy fix for the so-called funding crisis: lifting the earnings cap. As a public policy student, I’m used to hearing lively debates and diverse perspectives from my professors, fellows students,…
1 in 10 kids have someone else using their social security number
While most businesses and adults are protective of their online identities, a new study finds cyber security should also be a concern for our children. The Carnegie Mellon CyLab study shows more than 10 percent of children under the age of…
In surprise move, CMS announces Medicare Advantage pay increase
After proposing in February a 1.9 percent cut in reimbursement to insurers in the Medicare Advantage program, Medicare made a surprise announcement and said there would, instead, be a 0.4 percent increase. This is the second year Medicare has reversed proposed…
Mikulski, Boxer Urge SSA Not to Penalize Taxpayers for Decades-Old Social Security Overpayments
U.S. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) today called on the Social Security Administration to end the policy of seizing taxpayers’ refunds to hold them accountable for decades-old errors made by the agency that led to the overpayment of benefits.…
Democrats embrace adding photos to Social Security cards
As Republicans push for new voting restrictions around the country, a handful of Democrats have coalesced around an impromptu idea: placing a photo on Social Security cards. Former U.N. ambassador and civil rights activist Andrew Young — who chairs a nonpartisan…
Social Security Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund: Background and Solvency Issues – R43318
The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program provides benefits to insured workers with disabilities under Social Security’s full retirement age and their dependents based on an individual worker’s earnings and work history in covered employment. Recently, some Members of Congress and the public…
House Oversight Committee Hearing
The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a hearing yesterday on Social Security’s continuing disability reviews. Here are links to the written statements: Read more… Notice: The “Read more…” link provided above connects readers to the full text of the…
Another look at disability and labor force participation
In searching for explanations for the steep decline in the labor force participation rate analysts have rightly stressed the importance of retiring baby boomers. This trend appears to be the single most important factor depressing participation over the last six…