We already knew Social Security benefits were rising 2.5% due to the Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). We now know Medicare premiums will increase, as well, cutting into the increase for most recipients. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced the part B premium for most recipients will increase by $10.30 from $174.70…
Just when the Social Security Agency finally had a progressive, engaged commissioner in former mayor of Baltimore and governor of Maryland, he’s gone. Effective November 29th Martin O’Malley is resigning to run for chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Among other positive changes made during O’Malley’s all too brief tenure as commissioner was modification of…
Summer 2021 Newsletter STILL STANDING…AND PRACTICING I published the first issue of Social Security & You in Spring of 1993. Some years I’ve published more issues than others. The most recent issue was dated Spring 2019: over 2 years ago. The world was a much different place then. Especially for me. Read the full newsletter…
Spring 2019 Newsletter An Opioid Story I’ve changed his name. Let’s call him Gerald. He was a laborer. And by that I don’t mean that he just did physical work. He was a card-carrying member the Labor’s Union local. And that meant a lot to him. I represented him for Social Security disability and Michigan…
The 16 day partial government shutdown has created a backlog and the decision writing stage of the hearing process at the ODAR level. During the shutdown hearings continued to be held. This is because the ALJs have a union and the hearing monitors and vocational experts are contract workers: not government employees.
So, over 2 weeks of hearings were held without any decisions being written. It is normally 4-6 weeks on average from the time the hearing is held until the decision is received. I would expect that 6-8 weeks is probably the waiting time now and, of course, we are going to run into Thanksgiving and Christmas. As a result, the decisions on hearings held in October my not be received until the new year.