On Sunday, October 6, CBS’ “60 Minutes” aired a report detailing rampant abuse in the Social Security Disability (SSDI) program. That story was the latest broadside aimed at the SSDI by critics who claim that a huge number of Americans are receiving billions of dollars in benefits they don’t deserve. There’s only one problem with the “60 Minutes” broadcast and other similar accounts: they’re just not true. As attorneys who have been helping claimants navigate the red-tape-ensnared SSDI bureaucracy for decades, we know first-hand how important these benefits are to disabled men and women and their families, we’re disturbed by the constant barrage of misleading reports about the system. Not only do they have the potential to undermine public support for SSDI at a time when some interest groups are on a relentless quest to slash critical government programs, they may also discourage the disabled from seeking the benefits they need. We’re not alone in disputing the accuracy of the media’s characterization of SSDI. Nearly 100 organizations that represent the interests of the disabled have loudly criticized the “60 Minutes” report. Lisa Eckman, Federal Policy Director at Health and Disability Advocates, is among them. During an interview with Mike Sacks of “HuffPost Live” Ms. Eckman pinpointed the serious flaws in the CBS broadcast. Her primary complaint: the story painted a completely biased and inaccurate portrait of system that serves millions of Americans based on antidotal evidence from a small town in West Virginia. When you take one isolated incident, which the [60 Minutes] story highlights in Huntington, West Virginia, and you extrapolate that without any facts as being broader than it is, it can lead to extremely negative policy changes that will hurt some of our very vulnerable Americans, she said. She also explained that Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn’s contention that up to 45% of the claims approved under SSDI are fraudulent is in direct conflict with the findings of a U.S. Senate investigation—an investigation that Senator Coburn, a long-time critic of the system, headed. According to Ms. Eckman that inquiry revealed that although procedural errors occurred in 22% of the cases handled by SSDI not one case—not one—was wrongly decided. In other words Senator Coburn’s own investigation found that fraud was far from rampant, it was virtually non-existent. Those finding are supported by the results of an intense study conducted by former Social Security Administrator Michael Astrue. A Bush appointee, Mr. Astrue found that the rate of abuse within the SSDI system was less than one percent, a truly amazing figure given the size of the program. Finally, Ms. Eckman noted that if Senator Coburn and other members of Congress who have become extremely fond of using SSDI as a prime example of government waste were truly concerned about cleaning up the small amount of abuse that does occur they could take a very simple and effective step: fully fund the anti-fraud programs that already exist. Instead, Republican members of Congress have routinely cut the funding SSDI needs to investigate and prosecute those who attempt to scam the system. Clearly people like Senator Coburn prefer using SSDI as a “whipping boy” to taking affirmative steps that would actually strengthen this vital program. Like Ms. Eckman and the other disability advocates who are disputing the “facts” conveyed by “60 Minutes,” we’re disappointed that the reporters and producers associated with the long-running program did not even seek input from the disabled community and the thousands of reputable attorneys who help people obtain the benefits they need. Apparently, fairness and balance were not on their agenda. Fighting for the disabled is, however, a top item on the agenda at Anzellotti, Sperling, Pazol & Small. If you are disabled and your claim for benefits has been denied by SSDI call us today to arrange a no-cost consultation. That is an extremely important step to take because studies conducted by the U.S. Inspector General found that 91 to 94 percent of the people who successfully appealed a denial of benefits were represented by counsel. That means you have a much better chance of winning an appeal if you don’t try to take on the system by yourself. To learn more about the system and the ways we can help you bust the bureaucracy, visit our YouTube channel and watch our SSDI videos: youtube/watch?v=FmTf5VEb7Zc To view the HuffPost Live report on the 60 Minutes story follow this link: https://google/url?q=huffingtonpost/2013/10/09/60-minutes-disability-insurance_n_4071768.html&ct=ga&cd=NzU2MDQ4NzgwNDAzOTIyMDUy&cad=CAEYAQ&usg=AFQjCNFXjIVXJ6knsjT0hg7kWM1JlyHhhg
Posted on: Fri, 11 Oct 2013 12:04:50 +0000
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