Allsup Commemorates Social Security’s 75th Anniversary

Historical data illustrate changes in Social Security retirement, disability programs

 Belleville, Ill – Aug. 11, 2010 – When the Social Security Act was signed into law 75 years ago, it introduced a form of economic security that didn’t exist for the elderly. Nineteen years later, the disability division was created. The Great Depression was a triggering event for the original legislation, and now, during the current economic crisis, individuals and their families are realizing the crucial support provided by Social Security’s programs, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

 “The Social Security Administration and its nearly 65,000 workers continue to provide an invaluable service to Americans who retire or who can no longer work because of disability,” said Jim Allsup, president and CEO of Allsup. “We honor SSA workers’ dedication to public service and thank them for making these programs possible. We especially recognize their commitment to improve Social Security’s disability backlog crisis. We hope that government and industry can work together to ensure that all Americans with disabilities receive the benefits they have earned.”

 To help commemorate the anniversary that falls on Aug. 14, 2010, Allsup highlights some of the features of the program from then and now, and highlights lesser-known aspects of Social Security. One of those features is the “disability freeze” that protects retirement benefits when someone receives Social Security disability benefits. People receiving Social Security disability benefits eventually transition to retirement benefits when they reach full retirement age. Enacted in 1954, the “freeze” means that when someone has years of little or no earnings because of a disability, those years are not included in the calculation for retirement benefits. This protects someone’s level of retirement benefits and insured status. More insights are provided below.

 Social Security: Then and Now

Beneficiaries (receiving benefits)

1937:           53,236 total beneficiaries

2010:           58,541,000 total beneficiaries in the month of June

 Benefits issued (dollars)

1937:           $1,278,000 beneficiary payments for that year

2010:           $57,092,000,000 beneficiary payments in the month of June

 Workers’ insured status

1940:           24.2 million workers insured for retirement benefits

1954:           70.2 million workers insured for retirement benefits

                  31.9 million workers insured for disability benefits

2010:           206.5 million workers insured for retirement benefits

                  152.4 million workers insured for disability benefits

Average monthly benefit, individual

1947:           $25 per month, retirement

1960:           $74.04 per month, retirement

                  $89.31 per month, disability

2010:           $1,169.90 per month, retirement (June)

                  $1,065.40 per month, disability (June)

 Social Security: Did You Know?

• Nearly 80 million: Number of baby boomers filing for retirement benefits in the next 20 years.

• 10,000: Average number of baby boomers filing for retirement every day.

• 5: Key insurance benefits programs administered and/or supported by the Social Security Administration include: Retirement Insurance Program, Survivors Insurance Program, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare. SSI is a needs-based program that provides stipends to low-income individuals who are blind, disabled, or age 65 or older.

• 1965: Year when amendments to the Social Security Act provided hospital insurance (later known as Medicare) to those age 65 or older who were entitled to monthly Social Security retirement benefits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid administers the program, but individuals can file for Medicare benefits through the SSA.

• 52.7: Average age of workers receiving SSDI benefits in 2009.

• 1972: Year when the act was amended to institute a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), intended to help benefits keep pace with inflation.

• 7.65: Percent tax rate paid (each) by employees and their employers toward the Social Security insurance programs, including retirement, disability and Medicare. These taxes are assessed through the Federal Insurance Contributions Act and called FICA taxes.

• 0.9: Percent tax rate that individuals pay toward the disability insurance program as a portion of the overall 7.65 percent tax rate.

 These insurance programs have benefitted taxpayers for decades, Allsup pointed out. The SSDI program, in particular, plays an important role for individuals and their families when they experience a severe disability and can no longer work. “It’s important that workers understand how these insurance programs were designed to support them when they become eligible,” Allsup said. “It’s just as evident now, as decades ago, that the financial repercussions of a disability are devastating, and Allsup is glad to play a role in helping individuals receive the benefits they’ve paid for when they can no longer work.”

 For more information about Social Security disability benefits, contact the Allsup Disability Evaluation Center at (800) 279-4357 for free information and evaluation.

 ABOUT ALLSUP

Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability, Medicare and Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services for individuals, employers and insurance carriers. Founded in 1984, Allsup employs nearly 700 professionals who deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. The company is based in Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis.

ART: For an Allsup logo or photo, visit the Allsup multimedia library: http://www.allsup.com/About-Us/News-Room/Resources-for-Journalists/Image-Library.aspx

Contacts: 

Colleen O’Boyle

(703) 683-5004, ext. 122

coboyle@crcpublicrelations.com

or

Rebecca Ray

(800) 854-1418, ext. 5065

r.ray@allsupinc.com

August 03, 2010

News Release

Statement from Secretary Sebelius on Proposed CMS Rule to Expand Medicare Preventive Services and Expand Access to Primary Care

Today, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) took another important step to help improve the health status of Medicare beneficiaries.  The proposed regulation will implement the new preventive health benefits created under the Affordable Care Act for the seniors and persons with disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health care coverage.

The new rule proposes to make two significant improvements to preventive care benefits under Medicare:  Beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare will cover annual wellness visits so that doctors and patients can develop a personalized prevention plan that takes a comprehensive approach to improving the patient’s health.  Also beginning January 1, 2011, Medicare beneficiaries will no longer have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for most preventive services – including that annual wellness visit.

To help make sure that Medicare beneficiaries have access to primary care doctors, the rule would also boost payments for primary care services.  The proposed regulation would also increase access to services by creating payment incentives for general surgeons as well as expand access to other types of health care providers.

Improving access to preventive services and primary care is a top priority for HHS.  The proposed rule is just one part of a broader effort we are making to improve the health status of Medicare beneficiaries – and all Americans.  We recently announced the allocation of $500 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund – created by the Affordable Care Act – to invest in the training and development of primary care professionals as well as preventive care activities and public health infrastructure.

With these new benefits under Medicare, and investments in our health care system, the Affordable Care Act is continuing the Obama Administration’s historic work to promote wellness and reduce chronic disease.

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Allsup Outlines Quick-Processing Methods for Social Security Disability Claims

Key initiatives expedite disability claims process, reaffirm need for qualified SSDI representation

Belleville, Ill. – April 29, 2010 – Combating the backlog of nearly 700,000 claims now waiting for a hearing before the Social Security Administration (SSA), the federal agency has launched a number of initiatives to expedite Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to thousands of individuals, according to Allsup, a nationwide provider of Social Security disability representation and Medicare plan selection services.

“Several initiatives are designed to help those people whose medical conditions clearly meet Social Security’s standards to receive their SSDI benefits more quickly,” said Mike Stein, assistant vice president of claims. “When combined with expert SSDI representation such as Allsup, applicants deemed eligible can find their claims accelerated through the process to receive much-needed financial assistance more quickly.”

Several initiatives can be traced back to 2007, when SSA Commissioner Michael J. Astrue introduced the SSA’s plan to eliminate the backlog of hearing requests by 2013 and prevent its recurrence. Fast-track programs include Quick Disability Determination (QDD), Compassionate Allowances and terminal illness (TERI) cases.

“Allsup professionals work hard to identify and fast-track the most vulnerable claimants, helping them to benefit from these SSA initiatives,” Mr. Stein said. “While a narrow segment of SSDI applicants qualify, the impact for individuals and their families cannot be understated.”

Below Allsup outlines several SSA fast-track initiatives that streamline review of SSDI applications.

Quick Disability Determinations

The Quick Disability Determination (QDD) process is designed to analyze data in an SSDI claimant’s file in order to identify those cases that can be fast-tracked for approval of benefits. The SSA announced plans to extend the Quick Disability Determination (QDD) process to all state Disability Determination Services (DDS) nationwide in 2007.

In QDD cases, the SSA relies on a predictive model to electronically determine claims where there is a “high potential that the claimant is disabled and where evidence of the person’s allegations can be quickly and easily obtained.”¹ This model relies on scoring criteria to identify cases that qualify for consideration.

“The SSA’s goal with QDD is to find those cases that clearly qualify for benefits and process them through to a favorable decision within 20 days of receipt at the state DDS office,” Mr. Stein said. The SSA has reported that about 3 percent of all applications waiting for an initial decision are targeted for QDD processing.² Typical cases flagged for QDD processing include those involving end-stage renal disease and some forms of cancer.

Successful processing under this model can occur only if a designated QDD examiner can confirm that available medical evidence in the claimant’s case file is sufficient to determine chronic physical or mental disability as of the alleged onset date. In addition, QDD decisions are based exclusively on available medical and non-medical evidence in the case file. 

Compassionate Allowances

The Compassionate Allowances initiative speeds SSDI applications for individuals whose disabilities are so severe that they clearly meet established medical criteria. The original initiative was introduced in October 2008 and targeted 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers. The list recently was expanded to include 38 more conditions. These conditions range from adult brain disorders to rare diseases that predominantly affect children.

Unlike QDD, which employs scoring criteria to rank the severity of the disability, Compassionate Allowances affords qualifying claimants expedited review of disability applications based on confirmation of a qualifying diagnosis. Once the diagnosis is confirmed based on minimal objective medical information, the claim is approved in a matter of days—instead of months or even years.³

Terminal Illness (TERI) Cases

The requirements for disability benefits for a person with a terminal illness are the same as the requirements for a person with a non-terminal illness—but the processing time is faster. Cases deemed “TERI” merit special handling, with carefully prescribed protocols for appointment setting, labeling and flagging of TERI cases, tracking and continuous monitoring of timing to ensure processing without delay.

Applicants with an untreatable impairment must present a credible claim (from the individual, friend, family member, doctor or other medical source). Qualifying claims may include diagnosis, such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or AIDS, or a statement that the claimant is receiving in-patient hospice care. Additional qualifying conditions include a bone marrow transplant, any malignant cancer that is metastatic (stage IV), and small cell or oat cell lung cancer, among others.⁴

Military Service Casualty Cases:  Wounded Warriors Program

If a military service member is seriously injured or disabled while on active duty on or after Oct. 1, 2001, the SSA expedites the processing of disability claims regardless of where their disability occurred. To qualify for disability benefits, service members must be unable to do substantial work because of their medical condition, and the medical condition(s) must have lasted or is anticipated to last at least one year, or expected to result in death. To assist in case evaluation, service members frequently undergo a qualifying medical exam or medical test.

SSA and DDS staffs are instructed to process these claims as TERI cases. As with terminal illness cases, special protocols apply; cases are flagged for special processing, and rigorous mailing protocols followed to ensure expeditious review. In addition, field office staff pays careful attention to identifying the permanent address of the claimant, since military service members may be in transit and addresses may not match the address specified on the initial application.⁵

Presumptive Disability and Blindness Cases

Presumptive disability is granted when a claimant is applying for the first time based on disability or blindness. Presumptive disability cases must meet all non-medical factors of eligibility, and the severity of the condition must be sufficiently acute to merit a high likelihood of determination of disability. This program permits qualifying claimants to begin receiving payments before a final decision is made on their application.⁶ This program dates back to the 1970s.

Qualifying presumptive disability impairments include amputation of two limbs; amputation of a leg at the hip; allegations of total blindness; allegation of total deafness; allegation of a cerebral vascular accident (stroke) more than three months in the past and continued difficulty using hands, arms or walking. Additional qualifying impairments range from allegation of muscular dystrophy, muscular atrophy, and cerebral palsy, among others. Presumptive disability payments begin during the month the claimant becomes disabled or blind, and continue for up to six months while the claim is awaiting a final decision (assuming the claimant is found to be disabled and meets all other eligibility criteria).

According to the SSA, more than 3.3 million applications are anticipated in FY 2010, which is about 700,000 more than in FY 2008, adding to the workload for disability examiners nationwide.

This surge of disability claims highlights the importance of expert SSDI representation, especially for those individuals whose disabilities clearly qualify them for one of these fast-track programs, according to Mr. Stein.

“Allsup experts carefully monitor these programs and quickly identify those individuals who are likely to qualify through a fast-track initiative,” Mr. Stein said. “The benefits are significant for those who qualify, so it’s important to ensure you have someone on your side providing you with guidance should your claim fall under one of these programs.”

For more information, contact the Disability Evaluation Center at (800) 279-4357 or visit www.Allsup.com.

ABOUT ALLSUP

Allsup is a nationwide provider of Social Security disability, Medicare and workers’ compensation services for individuals, employers and insurance carriers. Founded in 1984, Allsup employs more than 600 professionals who deliver specialized services supporting people with disabilities and seniors so they may lead lives that are as financially secure and as healthy as possible. The company is based in Belleville, Ill., near St. Louis.  

1 – “Commissioner Astrue Extends Social Security’s Quick Disability Determination Nationwide,” Sept. 5, 2007.

2 – Program Operations Manual Systems (POMS), Quick Disability Determination (QDD)

3 – “Social Security Adds 38 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions,” Feb. 11, 2010

4 – POMS, Identifying Terminal Illness (TERI) Cases

5 – POMS, Emergency and Expedited Procedures Related to Military Service Casualty Cases

6 – Social Security Handbook, Presumptive Blindness or Presumptive Disability Payments

ART: For an Allsup logo or photo, visit the Allsup multimedia library: http://www.allsup.com/About-Us/News-Room/Resources-for-Journalists/Image-Library.aspx

Contacts: 

Rebecca Ray

(800) 854-1418, ext. 5065

r.ray@allsupinc.com

Social Security Adds 38 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions

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Thursday, February 11, 2010	Mark Lassiter, Press Officer
For Immediate Release	410-965-8904
	press.office@ssa.gov
SOCIAL SECURITY News Release Social Security Adds 38 New Compassionate Allowance Conditions Expansion Will Speed Benefits to Thousands of Americans with Disabilities (Printer friendly version) Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, today announced that the agency is adding 38 more conditions to its list of Compassionate Allowances.  This is the first expansion since the original list of 50 conditions – 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers – was announced in October 2008.  The new conditions range from adult brain disorders to rare diseases that primarily affect children.  The complete list of the new Compassionate Allowance conditions is attached. “The addition of these new conditions expands the scope of Compassionate Allowances to a broader subgroup of conditions like early-onset Alzheimer’s disease,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “The expansion we are announcing today means tens of thousands of Americans with devastating disabilities will now get approved for benefits in a matter of days rather than months and years.” Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that clearly qualify for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income disability benefits.  It allows the agency to electronically target and make speedy decisions for the most obviously disabled individuals.  In developing the expanded list of conditions, Social Security held public hearings and worked closely with the National Institutes of Health, the Alzheimer’s Association, the National Organization for Rare Disorders, and other groups. “The diagnosis of Alzheimer’s indicates significant cognitive impairment that interferes with daily living activities, including the ability to work,” said Harry Johns, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association.  “Now, individuals who are dealing with the enormous challenges of Alzheimer’s won’t also have to endure the financial and emotional toll of a long disability decision process.” “This truly innovative program will provide invaluable assistance and support to patients and families coping with severely disabling rare diseases,” said Peter L. Saltonstall, President and CEO of the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).  “On behalf of those patients and families, I want to thank Commissioner Astrue and his enthusiastic team for creating and now expanding a program that will have a direct impact on the quality of life of thousands of individuals.” “The initiative not only assists those whose applications are quickly processed, but also assists those whose applications need more time and attention from SSA adjudicators,” said Marty Ford, Co-Chair, Social Security Task Force, Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities.  “We are pleased to see today’s expansion and look forward to working with Commissioner Astrue on further expansion of this decision-making tool and other ways to expedite determinations and decisions for disability claims.” “We will continue to hold hearings and look for other diseases and conditions that can be added to our list of Compassionate Allowances,” Commissioner Astrue said.  “There can be no higher priority than getting disability benefits quickly to those Americans with these severe and life-threatening conditions.” Social Security will begin electronically identifying these 38 new conditions March 1. For more information about the agency’s Compassionate Allowances initiative, go to www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances. ### New Compassionate Allowance Conditions Alstrom Syndrome Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia Ataxia Spinocerebellar Ataxia Telangiectasia Batten Disease Bilateral Retinoblastoma Cri du Chat Syndrome Degos Disease Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Edwards Syndrome Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Glutaric Acidemia Type II Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), Familial Type Hurler Syndrome, Type IH Hunter Syndrome, Type II Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Junctional Epidermolysis Bullosa, Lethal Type Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses Leigh’s Disease Maple Syrup Urine Disease Merosin Deficient Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Mixed Dementia Mucosal Malignant Melanoma Neonatal Adrenoleukodystrophy Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses, Infantile Type Niemann-Pick Type C Patau Syndrome Primary Progressive Aphasia Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Sanfilippo Syndrome Subacute Sclerosis Panencephalitis Tay Sachs Disease Thanatophoric Dysplasia, Type 1 Ullrich Congenital Muscular Dystrophy Walker Warburg Syndrome Wolman Disease Zellweger Syndrome ### SSA Press Office  440 Altmeyer Building  6401 Security Blvd.  Baltimore, MD 21235 410-965-8904  FAX 410-966-9973