We realize it may be a stretch for ordinary people to want to keep up with the comings and goings of the Social Security Administration, but sometimes circumstances permit where someone does want to follow the latest news regarding the agency due to a possible retirement or disability interest. This blog is an ongoing piecemeal of recent stories that have involved Social Security. Some are tidbits and some are important things that should be known in the world of retirement or disability and others are just interesting stories and nothing more.
Surgeon Guilty Of Stealing More Than $200,000 In Social Security Benefits
A federal jury found a Louisiana surgeon guilty of stealing more than $200,000 in social Security disability benefits, according to this story from the Shreveport Times.
John Owings, the chief of trauma at Louisiana State University Health in Shreveport was found guilty of 20 counts of theft of government property and one count of concealing or failing to disclose an event affecting his right to a government benefit.
According to the Department of Justice, the prosecution presented evidence during trial showing that Owings applied for disability benefits in 2008 and continued to receive those benefits through June of 2017, after returning to work in 2012. When Owings went back to work at a salary of $22,000 per month, he failed to inform Social Security. Owings went on to make even more money when he was named to his post at LSU Health in Shreveport, but never disclosed his employment to Social Security and took disability benefits, which is against the law.
Owings faces up to 10 years imprisonment for theft of government property and five years for concealing or failure to disclose an event affecting his right to benefits. In addition to the prison time Owings is facing, he is also facing three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine for each count brought against him.
The news story indicated that due to his guilty conviction, Owings will be terminated from his position at LSU Health in Shreveport.
“LSU Health Shreveport is aware that faculty member John Owings has been found guilty of felony criminal charges related to disability insurance payments,” said Lisa Babin, a spokesperson for the healthcare facility. “Pursuant to the LSU Health Shreveport policy, felony convictions are grounds for termination.”
Is Social Security Trying To Phase Out Administrative Law Judges?
Social Security has proposed new regulations that would allow Administrative Appeals Judges (AAJs) to conduct disability hearings, which is typically the job of Administrative Law Judges (ALJs). The AAJs are in charge of reviewing ALJ hearing decisions at the Appeals Council currently. There is no word on why Social Security is asking for these regulations, but considering the wait time for disability hearings appears to be decreasing, it seems a little odd that Social Security is taking these steps now. This is not the only new regulations Social Security is proposing. They have already posted regulations that are up for discussion that would prevent claimants and their representatives to objection to Video Teleconference (VTC) hearings where the ALJ is in a different location than the claimant or the claimant’s representative.
