Online
National Organization of Social Security Claimants' Representatives
| TOPICS - "F" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
FORMER WORK | ||||
| Practice Tip: Questioning the Claimant About Functional Limitations | JAN | 2 | 2007 | |
| Stahovich v. Astrue, 524 F.Supp.2d 95 (D.Mass. 2007) | MAY-JUN | 36 | 2008 | |
| Le v. Astrue, 540 F.Supp.2d 1144 (C.D.Cal. 2008) | MAY-JUN | 37 | 2008 | |
| FRAUD | ||||
| SSA Inspector General Imposes Fines on ODAR Employees | FEB | 3 | 2007 | |
| New Earnings Recording System Means New Sanctions Are Effective | MAY | 3 | 2007 | |
| Recent SSA Office of Inspector General Reports: Barred Claimant Representatives; SSI Underpayments | OCT | 15 | 2007 | |
| Congress Looks at Protecting Beneficiaries from Harmful Practices by Financial Institutions and Predatory Lenders | JUL | 14 | 2008 | |
| Misleading Advertising Prohibitions | JAN | 4 | 2009 |
| TOPICS - "G" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
GAO and OIG REPORTS | ||||
| GAO Surveys Representatives | FEB | 2 | 2007 | |
| GAO Finds SSA Disability Programs Continue to Be "High Risk" (High-Risk Series: An Update, GAO-07-310 (Jan. 2007)) | FEB | 10 | 2007 | |
| Why So Many Court Remands? The GAO Tries to Find Answers (Disability Programs: SSA Has Taken Steps to Address Conflicting Court Decisions, but Needs to Manage Data Better on the Increasing Number of Court Remands, GAO-07-331 (April 2007)) | APR | 4 | 2007 | |
| GAO on Earnings After Voc Rehab (Vocational Rehabilitation: Earnings Increased for Many SSA Beneficiaries After Completing VR Services, but Few Earned Enough to Leave SSA's Disability Rolls, GAO -07-332 (March 2007)) | APR | 6 | 2007 | |
| New Reports from the Inspector General and the GAO: Vocational Rehabilitation: Improved Information and Practice May Enhance State Agency Earnings Outcomes for SSA Beneficiaries (GAO); Information Technology: VA and DOD Are Making Progress in Sharing Medical Information, but are Far from Comprehensive Electronic Medical Records(GAO); SSI Recipients Eligible as Disabled Children under the Old OASDI Program (OIG); Adjustment of Widow's Insurance Benefits at Full Retirement Age (OIG); Organizational Review of the Office of Disability and Income Security Programs (OIG) | MAY | 7 | 2007 | |
| GAO Studies Fee Withholding: SSA Disability Representatives: Fee Payment Changes Show Promise, but Eligibility Criteria and Representative Overpayments Require Further Monitoring, GAO-08-5(Oct. 2007) | NOV | 3 | 2007 | |
| Recent GAO and OIG reports: Issues Regarding the Coverage of Public Employees; Social Security Reform Issues for Disability and Dependent Benefits; The SSA 800-Number Automation Service | NOV | 7 | 2007 | |
| New GAO Report Address Backlog Growth: Social Security Disability: Better Planning, Management, and Evaluation Could Help Address Backlogs, GAO-08-40 (Dec. 2007) | JAN | 8 | 2008 | |
| Does ALJ Productivity Affect the ODAR Backlog? OIG Report: ALJs' Caseload Performance, Audit Report A-07-07-17072 (Feb.2008) | FEB | 1 | 2008 | |
| IG Finds Evidence Submission Does Not Lead to Significant Hearing Postponement: Quick Response Evaluation; Timeliness of Medical Evidence at Hearing Offices (June 13, 2008) | MAY-JUN | 4 | 2008 | |
| Inspector General Focuses on Savings from Suspending Title II benefits to Fleeing Felons | JUL | 18 | 2008 | |
| Productivity: What Factors Affect Performance? (OIG Report) | AUG | 1 | 2008 | |
| Recent Inspector general Reports: Ticket to Work Program; Title II Disability Benefits and Workers' Compensation Settlements | AUG | 6 | 2008 | |
| Do Remands Take Longer to Process? The OIG Reports: Hearing Office Remand Processing (Sept 2008) | OCT | 6 | 2008 | |
| How to Deal with a Difficult Hearing Office: The OIG Investigates - Congressional Response Deport: Customer Service Issues at the Dover Hearing Office (Oct. 2008) | NOV | 3 | 2008 | |
| GAO Finds SSA Lacks Detailed Plan for the Increasing Workload: SSA: Service Deliver Plan Needed to Address Baby Boom, Retirement Challenges, GAO-09-24 (Jan. 2009) | FEB | 10 | 2009 | |
| Update: State Budgets and DDS: Quick Response Evaluation - Impact of State Employee Furloughs on the Social Security Administration's Disability Programs (Mar. 2009) | APR | 8 | 2009 | |
| SSA's Plan to Update the Listings of Impairments: Is It Effective? (OIG Report: The SSA's Listing of Impairment Mar. 2009) | APR | 18 | 2009 | |
| SSA email security review: Follow-Up: The Social Security Administration's Electronic Mail Security Review (June 2009) | JUN | 8 | 2009 | |
| SSA wage reconciliation process with the IRS | JUN | 8 | 2009 | |
| SSA Debt Management Authority: Quick Response Evaluation: Improper Payments Report, No. A-15-09-29125 (July 23, 2009) | AUG | 17 | 2009 | |
| GAO Assesses SSA's Plan to Eliminate Hearing Backlog (Social Security Disability: Additional Performance Measures and Better Cost Estimates Could Help Improve SSA's Efforts to Eliminate Its Hearing Backlog) GAO-09-398 (Sept. 2009) | SEP | 10 | 2009 | |
| Fleeing Felon Update: Sign up for Martinez Settlement Listserv; SSA Inspector General Assesses Impact of Martinez | OCT | 4 | 2009 | |
| GAO Asked to Review SSA's Earnings Overpayment Process | NOV | 9 | 2009 | |
|
GARNISHMENT | ||||
| Senate Holds Hearing on Seizure of Bank Accounts | SEP | 17 | 2007 | |
| Congress Looks at Protecting Beneficiaries from Harmful Practices by Financial Institutions and Predatory Lenders | JUL | 14 | 2008 | |
|
GENITOURINARY IMPAIRMENTS | ||||
| Fed. Reg. Update: SSA Requests Comments on Three Listings (Skin, Genitourinary, Multiple Body System) | NOV | 15 | 2009 |
| TOPICS - "H" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HEADACHES | ||||
| Wiltz v. Barnhart, 484 F.Supp.2d 524 (W.D.La. 2006) | MAR | 29 | 2008 | |
| SSA Q&A on Evaluating Migraine Headaches. Dec. 2009 | DEC | 14 | 2009 | |
|
HEARING LOSS | ||||
| Hearing Loss: SSA Published Proposed Changes to Listings 2.00 | AUG | 4 | 2008 | |
|
HEARINGS (ODAR) | ||||
| ODAR: Pending Cases in Hearing Offices, 9/30/06 | JAN | 10 | 2007 | |
| House Holds Hearing on Disability Backlogs: Will More Funding Help? | FEB | 1 | 2007 | |
| SSA Inspector General Imposes Fines on ODAR Employees | FEB | 3 | 2007 | |
| National Ranking Report: Processing time at Hearing Offices 1/31/07 | FEB | 6 | 2007 | |
| NOSSCR Testimony on Disability Backlogs, Hearing Feb. 14, 2007 | FEB | 12 | 2007 | |
| NOSSCR Recommendations for Reducing the Disability Claims Backlog | MAR | 4 | 2007 | |
| Federal Register Update: Use of video hearings for overpayment waiver personal conferences | MAR | 7 | 2007 | |
| Practice Tip: Citing to Digitally Recorded Hearings | MAR | 9 | 2007 | |
| Late Breaking News! FIT Is Now Available Online! | MAR | 20 | 2007 | |
| ODAR National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time (5/07) | MAY | 16 | 2007 | |
| FIT memorandum from Chief ALJ Cristaudo to Regional Chief ALJs (3/30/07) | JUN | 11 | 2007 | |
| Chief ALJ memo on Streamlined Folder Assembly (5/30/07) | JUL | 20 | 2007 | |
| OIG Report on ALJ Assignment in region IV ODARs | SEP | 4 | 2007 | |
| National Ranking Report: Processing time at Hearing Offices 09/07/07 | SEP | 6 | 2007 | |
| Changes Proposed to the ALJ and Appeals Process: Does Administrative Efficiency Trump Fairness? | OCT | 1 | 2007 | |
| Proposed Rule on ALJ, Appeals Council and Decision Review Board (72 Fed. Reg. 61218 (Oct.29, 2007) | OCT | 27 | 2007 | |
| Survey on Recent ODAR and SSA Initiatives | NOV | 1 | 2007 | |
| Query: Requests for On-the-Record Decisions | NOV | 2 | 2007 | |
| NOSSCR Survey: Current ODAR and SSA Practice Issues | NOV | 4 | 2007 | |
| ODAR National Ranking report By Average Processing Time (12/07) | NOV | 8 | 2007 | |
| National Hearing Center: Open for Business | DEC | 1 | 2007 | |
| Comment Period Closes for Proposed Appeals Changes: What does the Future Hold? | DEC | 1 | 2007 | |
| NOSSCR Comments on Appeals Process Proposed Regulations | DEC | 2007 | ||
| SSA Suspends Part of Proposed Rule Changing Appeals Process | JAN | 1 | 2008 | |
| Letter from Commissioner Astrue to Chairman McNulty | JAN | 12 | 2008 | |
| Chart: Hearings Office Claims Backlog and the Ratio of Hearing Office Support Staff to ALJ, FY 1997-2006 | JAN | 9 | 2008 | |
| Reducing the Backlog: Where Does ODAR Stand? | JAN | 10 | 2008 | |
| Letters from Commissioner Astrue AMA & AHA | JAN | 14 | 2008 | |
| Does ALJ Productivity Affect the ODAR Backlog? OIG Report: ALJs' Caseload Performance, Audit Report A-07-07-17072 (Feb.2008) | FEB | 1 | 2008 | |
| Practice Tip: On-the-Record Decisions | FEB | 2 | 2008 | |
| Adult Fully Favorable Draft Decision | FEB | 8 | 2008 | |
| ODAR Processing Times - National Ranking Report (2/209/08) | MAR | 22 | 2008 | |
| Backlog is Again the Focus of a Congressional Hearing | APR | 1 | 2008 | |
| NOSSCR News - Thank you for hardship information | APR | 2 | 2008 | |
| Query: Video Hearings | MAY-JUN | 2 | 2008 | |
| IG Finds Evidence Submission Does Not Lead to Significant Hearing Postponement: Quick Response Evaluation; Timeliness of Medical Evidence at Hearing Offices (June 13, 2008) | MAY-JUN | 4 | 2008 | |
| New FIT Proposed Decision template on SSA Website | MAY-JUN | 5 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report: Processing time at Hearing Offices (6/2/08) | MAY-JUN | 32 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time at Hearing Offices (7/1/08) | JUL | 10 | 2008 | |
| New House Bill Sets Time Limits at Hearing Level (HR 6485) | JUL | 16 | 2008 | |
| Productivity: What Factors Affect Performance? (OIG Report) | AUG | 1 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time (&/31/08) | AUG | 8 | 2008 | |
| House Hearing Addresses Hearing Office Productivity Issues | SEP | 3 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time at Hearing Offices (9/3/08) | SEP | 12 | 2008 | |
| New SSA Strategic Plan: First Goal Is Elimination of Hearings Backlog | SEP | 19 | 2008 | |
| ODAR Processing Times: Are We Finally Seeing Improvements? | OCT | 1 | 2008 | |
| How Representatives Can Help Hhearing Offices | OCT | 5 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time at Hearing Offices (11/5/08) | OCT | 10 | 2008 | |
| ODAR Proposes to Take Over Scheduling of ALJ Hearings | NOV | 1 | 2008 | |
| How to Deal with a Difficult Hearing Office: The OIG Investigates - Congressional Response Deport: Customer Service Issues at the Dover Hearing Office (Oct. 2008) | NOV | 3 | 2008 | |
| ALJs' Letter to Commissioner on Support Staff Levels | NOV | 7 | 2008 | |
| Update: ODAR Processing Times | DEC | 1 | 2008 | |
| National Ranking Report by Average Processing Time at Hearing Offices (12/03/08) | DEC | 6 | 2008 | |
| Database of ALJ Dispositions Available | JAN | 1 | 2009 | |
| Focus: The Claimant's Failure to Appear at a Hearing | MAR | 4 | 2009 | |
| New Hearing Offices: "Opening Soon" | MAR | 7 | 2009 | |
| The Disability Backlog" What do the Numbers Tell Us? | APR | 1 | 2009 | |
| Second NHC Opens in Albuquerque | APR | 9 | 2009 | |
| CALJ Reminder: Claimant's Right of Refusal to Appear by VTC | MAY | 9 | 2009 | |
| ODAR List of "Best Practices for Claimants' Representatives" | MAY | 10 | 2009 | |
| National Ranking Report: By Average Processing Time by Hearing office and by Regional Office (4/30/09) | MAY | 18 | 2009 | |
| National Ranking Report: By Average Processing Time by Hearing office and by Regional Office (4/30/09) | MAY | 18 | 2009 | |
| New Hearing Offices: Updated List | MAY | 23 | 2009 | |
| No Signature Required - Request for Hearing Changes HALLEX I-2-0-40 | JUN | 2 | 2009 | |
| Please Complete Survey on Current ODAR Practice Issues | JUL | 1 | 2009 | |
| NOSSCR Survey on Current ODAR Practice Issues | JUL | 14 | 2009 | |
| SSA Website Provides State Statistics on Hearing Backlog | AUG | 7 | 2009 | |
| ODAR Finishes FY 2009 on a Positive Note | SEP | 1 | 2009 | |
| GAO Assesses SSA's Plan to Eliminate Hearing Backlog (Social Security Disability: Additional Performance Measures and Better Cost Estimates Could Help Improve SSA's Efforts to Eliminate Its Hearing Backlog) GAO-09-398 (Sept. 2009) | SEP | 10 | 2009 | |
| DDS AND ODAR Backlogs: What Can We Expect in FY 2010? | OCT | 1 | 2009 | |
| ODAR workload and Performance Summary. Sept 2009 | OCT | 5 | 2009 | |
| A Status Report: The Disability Claims Backlogs at the DDS and Hearing Levels | NOV | 1 | 2009 | |
| Reduction of Hearing Backlog Continues to Improve | NOV | 1 | 2009 | |
| ALJ Examination Opens- Then Closes | NOV | 5 | 2009 | |
| ODAR Processing Times. Oct 2009 | NOV | 10 | 2009 | |
| Average Processing Time by Regional Office. Oct 2009 | NOV | 13 | 2009 | |
| Fed Reg Update: Prehearing and Post hearing Conferences | NOV | 15 | 2009 | |
| New Hearing Offices to Open Soon! | DEC | 1 | 2009 | |
|
HPI (Hearing Process Initiative) | ||||
| See Re-Engineering / Redesign / HPI | ||||
|
HYPERTENSION | ||||
| Practice Tip: Documenting Symptoms of Hypertension | NOV | 6 | 2007 |
| TOPICS - "I" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
IMMUNE SYSTEM | ||||
| Final Immune System Disorders Listings Published: HIV/AIDS Listings Subject to More Comments | MAR | 3 | 2008 | |
| Expect More Changes to the Listings - Final Immune System and advance notice re: HI | APR | 3 | 2008 | |
|
INSURED STATUS | ||||
| See Also, Quarters of Coverage | ||||
| Recency of Work Test Upheld as Consitutitional (Collier v. Barnhart, 473 F.3d 444 (2nd Cir. 2007) | MAR | 8 | 2007 | |
|
INTERROGATORIES | ||||
| Chief Judge Bulletin on Proffering ME and VE Interrogatories | OCT | 8 | 2008 |
| TOPICS - "J" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
JUDICIAL REVIEW/ LITIGATION DELAY | ||||
| Why So Many Court Remands? The GAO Tries to Find Answers (Disability Programs: SSA Has Taken Steps to Address Conflicting Court Decisions, but Needs to Manage Data Better on the Increasing Number of Court Remands, GAO-07-331 (April 2007)) | APR | 4 | 2007 | |
| Jolly v. Barnhart, 465 F.Supp.2d 498 (D.S.C. 2006) | APR | 17 | 2007 | |
| Office of Appellate Operations Geographic Assignments (HALLEX I-4-3-104) | MAR | 14 | 2008 | |
| "Preponderance of the Evidence" vs. "Substantial Evidence": SSA Proposes Clarification | MAY-JUN | 5 | 2008 | |
| Federal Register Update: "Preponderance of the Evidence" Standard | DEC | 12 | 2008 | |
| Focus: Appealing Partially Favorable Decisions: A Cautionary Tale (Thompson v. Astrue) | FEB | 8 | 2009 | |
| Comment on "Appealing Partially Favorable Decisions" | MAR | 10 | 2009 | |
| Dambrowski v. Astrue, 590 F.Supp.2d 579 (S.D.N.Y. 2008) | MAR | 16 | 2009 | |
| Focus: Court Ordered Time Limits on Remand (Butts v. Barnhart) | APR | 4 | 2009 | |
| Focus: "Law of the Case Doctrine" (Vander Molen v. Astrue) | MAY | 4 | 2009 | |
| NOSSCR Sustaining Members and Brief Writers | NOV | 18 | 2009 |
| TOPICS - "K" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
KERNER DOCTRINE | ||||
| Horton v. Barnhart, 469 F.Supp.2d 1041 (N.D.Ala. 2006) | MAY | 40 | 2007 | |
| Jordan v. Commissioner of Social Security, 548 F.3d 417 (6th Cir. 2008) | FEB | 14 | 2009 |
| TOPICS - "L" | Mo. | Pg. | Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
LACK OF COUNSEL | ||||
| Beth v. Astrue, 494 F.Supp.2d 979 (E.D.Wis. 2007) | SEP | 16 | 2007 | |
|
LATE FILINGS | ||||
| Practice Tip: Appeals Council Postmarks and Mailing Times | APR | 8 | 2007 | |
| Letter to the Editor, Re: Appeals Council Postmarks | MAY | 2 | 2007 | |
|
LAW OF THE CASE | ||||
| Focus: "Law of the Case Doctrine" (Vander Molen v. Astrue) | MAY | 4 | 2009 | |
|
LISTINGS OF IMPAIRMENTS | ||||
| SSA Extends Listings Expiration Dates | JUN | 1 | 2007 | |
| Final Digestive Disorders Listings Issued | OCT | 1 | 2007 | |
| Keep Current with the Listings of Impairments-order form | NOV | DEC | 2007 | |
| Advanced NPRM on Functional Limitations due to Digestive Disorders (72 FR 70527 Dec.12, 2007) | DEC | 5 | 2007 | |
| Final Immune System Disorders Listings Published: HIV/AIDS Listings Subject to More Comments | MAR | 3 | 2008 | |
| Expect More Changes to the Listings | APR | 3 | 2008 | |
| SSA Speakers at NOSSCR Conference: Update on Backlog Reduction and other SSA Initiatives: Keeping the listings updated | MAY-JUN | 1 | 2008 | |
| Federal Register Update: Extension of Listings | MAY-JUN | 27 | 2008 | |
| Hearing Loss: SSA Published Proposed Changes to Listings 2.00 | AUG | 4 | 2008 | |
| SSA Holds Conference on HIV Infection | SEP | 4 | 2008 | |
| Experts Discuss Cardiovascular Disease and SSA Listings | SEP | 5 | 2008 | |
| Listings/Grids Manual Order Form for 2009 | NOV | 13 | 2008 | |
| Keep Current with the Listings of Impairments | DEC | 17 | 2008 | |
| SSA's Plan to Update the Listings of Impairments: Is It Effective? (OIG Report: The SSA's Listing of Impairment Mar. 2009) | APR | 10 | 2009 | |
| OIG Charts on Initial and Recon Allowances by Listing FY 2008 | APR | 11 | 2009 | |
| SSA Seeks Outside Expertise for HIV and Cardiovascular Listings | JUN | 3 | 2009 | |
| Federal Register Update: Cancer Listings- Final Rule | OCT | 12 | 2009 | |
| Order or Renew the Listings/Grids Manual Now | NOV | 14 | 2009 | |
| Fed. Reg. Update: SSA Requests Comments on Three Listings (Skin, Genitourinary, Multiple Body System) | NOV | 15 | 2009 | |
| SSA Proposes Changes to Endocrine Listing - Diabetes Would Be Deleted | DEC | 3 | 2009 | |
| Order or Renew the Listings/Grids Manual for 2010 Now | NOV-DEC | 2009 | ||
|
LITIGATION DELAY | ||||
| See Judicial Review | ||||
|
LIVER DISEASE | ||||
| Letter to the Editor- Re: New liver disease listings | JUL | 3 | 2008 | |
|
LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE | ||||
| Recency of Work Test Upheld as Consitutitional (Collier v. Barnhart, 473 F.3d 444 (2nd Cir. 2007) (cert. denied) | MAR | 8 | 2007 | |
|
LONG TERM DISABILITY BENEFITS | ||||
| Supreme Court Rules on Long Term Disability Conflict of Interest (MetLife v. Glenn) | DEC | 10 | 2008 | |
|
LUPUS | ||||
| Final Immune System Disorders Listings Published: HIV/AIDS Listings Subject to More Comments | MAR | 3 | 2008 | |
| Expect More Changes to the Listings - Final Immune System and advance notice re: HIV | APR | 3 | 2008 |