Every now and then there seems to be a lot of current news involving new policies, rules or any matters related to Social Security, so this blog will focus on some current Social Security events. Despite the fact that Social Security has been around for more than 80 years things do change when it comes to standards and rules.
Established to outline conditions and their severity in relating to meeting the definition of disability, Social Security has created the agency’s listings related to virtually every type of physical and mental health impairment and those listings change from time-to-time. Recently the agency informed it would have new rules in place related to respiratory impairments by Oct. 7, 2016.There are many different type of respiratory illnesses that Social Security addresses. Some of these conditions include asthma, cystic fibrosis, respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension. According to Social Security, the reason the agency is changing its respiratory impairments is “to reflect our program experience and advances in medical knowledge since we last comprehensively revised the listings for this body system and comments we received from medical experts and the public at an outreach policy conference.” So, there you go, now you know how changes to the listings occur as identified by Social Security.
Shots Fired Outside Social Security Office
Unfortunately the recent news that shots were fired outside the Moss Point, Mississippi Social Security field office is not a new phenomena. As reported by the SunHerald, gunshots were fired outside the office June 8 and the police have a pretty good idea who fired the shots in the parking lot, but no one was injured. According to the story, the chief of police indicated that the potential suspect was visiting the Social Security office and became angry about something and left. Police believe this same man fired three to four shots in the parking lot. People have attempted to bring weapons on to Social Security property and have threatened violence at Social Security offices before. When you are dealing with an agency that is in charge of live-changing benefits for the poor and disabled, many of who suffer from mental health impairments, it can’t be a complete shock that these types of things happen, but obviously anyone who threatens violence in any way should be held legally responsible.
Back To Work
One member of the U.S. House of Representatives and two members of U.S. Senate introduced companion bills in each legislative body that would encourage Americans on Social Security to go back to work. It should not come as a surprise that all three legislators are republicans. It seems the Republican Party is so fixated on the Social Security disability program and one has to wonder if republicans are dead set on destroying Social Security disability. Every day there seems to be another republican talking about ridding Social Security disability of fraud and abuse or talking about how there are too many people on disability. Everyone should agree with getting rid of fraud, but this laser focus the Republicans have on an issue that impacts less than 1 percent of all Social Security transactions is getting out of hand. It now may be a shift in party policy to instead go after the disabled and force them back to work even though they are unable to. There are already rules in place and those who improve medically do return to work or have their disability benefits suspended. It really is time for the republicans to focus on real problems and stop making ones up.
