Category: Disabilities

Social Security Chief Orders Broad Review of Benefit Overpayments 

In the wake of an investigation by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group, the SSA acting commissioner said a special teaml will review “overpayment policies and procedures” and report directly back to her.

Social Security Overpayments Draw Scrutiny and Outrage From Members of Congress

Lawmakers are faulting the Social Security Administration for issuing billions of dollars of payments that beneficiaries weren’t entitled to receive — and then demanding the money back — in the wake of an investigation by KFF Health News and Cox Media Group.

Readers Rail at Social Security Overpayments and Insurers’ Prior Authorizations

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Social Security Overpays Billions to People, Many on Disability. Then It Asks for the Money Back.

Beneficiaries in five states described what happened when they received demands to return overpayments that reached up to tens of thousands of dollars or more.

California Promises Better Care for Thousands of Inmates as They Leave Prison

California officials recently agreed to give new parolees a 60-day supply of their prescriptions and promised to replace lost medical equipment in the month after they’re released from prison. The state also agreed to submit Medi-Cal applications on their behalf at least 90 days before they are released.

‘A System in Crisis’: Dysfunctional Federal Disability Programs Force the Poor to Pass Up Money

With little or no income, disability applicants are seeking Social Security early retirement benefits even though it could cost them tens of thousands of dollars in future income, lawyers say.

Readers and Tweeters Defend the Rights of Adults With Disabilities

KFF Health News gives readers a chance to comment on a recent batch of stories.

Some Private Companies Charge Hefty Fees to Help Veterans With Disability Claims

Unaccredited companies promise to help veterans file for disability benefits. But unlike the thousands of service representatives who have been vetted and approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide aid, these “medical consultants” or “coaches” operate with no restrictions on how much they can charge.

Disability Rights Groups Sue to Overturn California’s Physician-Assisted Death Law

Disability rights advocates and two individuals with disabilities sued Tuesday to overturn the state’s physician-assisted death law, arguing it is unconstitutional, violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, and makes it too easy for people with terminal diseases whose deaths aren’t imminent to kill themselves with a doctor’s help.

People with Down Syndrome Are Living Longer, but the Health System Still Treats Many as Kids

The median life expectancy for a U.S. baby born with Down syndrome jumped from about four years in 1950 to 58 years in the 2010s. That’s largely because they no longer can be denied lifesaving care, including surgeries for heart defects. But now, aging adults with Down syndrome face a health system unprepared to care for them.