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…
In 1995 a mediocre movie starring Dustin Hoffman, Renee Russo & Morgan Freeman named Outbreak told the story of a highly contagious airborne illness that spread like wildfire across the United States. Fortunately, Ebola, the flu-like illness which has infected thousands in Guinea, Liberia & Sierra Leone and other countries in West Africa is not airborne but it is still highly contagious and deadly.
The man who died in a Dallas hospital last week has infected at least one other person. A nurse who treated him is now infected and some 70 other persons who had contact with him are now being monitored.
Health workers in Spain have also been infected and with a 21 day incubation period we just don’t know how far this has spread already. What we do know is that stricter measures need to be in place to screen persons coming from West Africa and more precautions and better training needs to take place among health workers before this turns into something much worse than the fictional account Hollywood created.