Social Security

You're invited!

Please register here to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on Enhancing the Reconsideration Process.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via livestream.

We are seeking feedback on improving the disability claims process – especially at the reconsideration step.

Confirmed Panelists:

• Moderator – Darlynda Bogle, Executive Secretary, Office of the Commissioner, Social Security Administration
• Phoebe Ball, Legislative Affairs Specialist, National Council on Disability
• Cheryl Bates-Harris, Senior Disability Advocacy Specialist, National Disability Rights Network
• Dr. Sharon Bland-Brady, President, National Association of Disability Examiners
• Lisa Ekman, Director of Government Affairs, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
• Trudy Lyon-Hart, Policy/Quality Committee Chair and Board Member, National Council of Disability Determination Directors
• Christopher Mazzulli, Treasurer, National Association of Disability Representatives

Be sure to register online by Monday, November 26, and note whether you will be attending in person or via live stream. Additional details will be provided to live stream participants prior to the event.

To learn more about the National Disability Forum, please click here.

You're invited!

Please register here to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on Advanced Designation of Representative Payees.

The forum will be held on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via teleconference in listening mode only.

The purpose of the forum is to gain insight on best practices for implementation of Section 201 (Advance Designation) of the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018. Section 201 allows beneficiaries to designate individuals to serve as Representative Payees should the need arise and requires SSA to select designated individuals with certain exemptions.

Confirmed Panelists:

• Moderator – Jeremiah Schofield, Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Public Service and Operations Support, Social Security Administration
• Stacy Cloyd, Deputy Director of Government Affairs, National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives
• Susanne Horn, MSW, Representative Payee Program Manager, Bread for the City
• Kate Lang, Senior Attorney, Justice in Aging
• Zachary Martin, Director of Operations, National Disability Rights Network
• Ted Norwood, General Counsel, Integrated Benefits Inc.
• Daniela de la Piedra, Senior Attorney, American Association of Retired Persons
• Dari Pogach, Staff Attorney, Commission on Law and Aging, American Bar Association
• Pamela B. Teaster, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech
• Morgan K. Whitlatch, Legal Director, Quality Trust for Individuals with Disabilities

If you would like to participate, please register online by Friday, October 26, 2018.

To learn more about the National Disability Forum, please click here.

Today, Social Security announced that Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019.

Visit our blog to learn more about the COLA.

You're invited!

Please register here to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on Acquiring and Using Electronic Medical Records.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, August 22, 2018 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via live stream.

This forum will focus on best practices associated with the acquisition and usage of medical records, common challenges with those records and the future of electronic health information.

Panelists Include:

• Kevin Liebkemann, Chief Counsel, Legal Services of New Jersey
• Andrew Gettinger, Chief Clinical Officer, Office of the National Coordinator (ONC)
• Mariann Yeager, CEO, Sequoia Project
• Dr. William Gray-Roncal, Senior Research Engineer, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
• John Mattison, Chief Medical Information Officer and Assistant Medical Director, Kaiser Permanente
• Brian Jones, DO, Managing Director, PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector LLC
• Hans Buitendijk, Director, Interoperability Strategy, Cerner

If you would like to participate, please register online by Monday, August 20, 2018. Additional details will be provided to those who wish to participate via live stream.

To learn more about the National Disability Forum, please click here.

We are pleased to announce that we are expanding our my Social Security online wage reporting service to Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients, as well as their spouses, parents, sponsors, and representative payees. Individuals receiving both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and SSI, as well as their representative payees, can also report wages online. This service is available through our existing my Social Security portal. Check our website to learn more about my Social Security features and how to sign up. You can also click here to access more information about reporting wages online.

Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has started to mail new Medicare cards to beneficiaries.

Instead of a Social Security Number (SSN), the new cards will have a Medicare number that’s unique to each beneficiary. The new card will help protect identities and secure personal information. Medicare coverage and benefits will stay the same.

Medicare will automatically mail new cards at no cost to the address on file here at Social Security. So please make sure the address of anyone you’re helping is up-to-date. An address can be updated easily by using my Social Security.

As Medicare beneficiaries begin to receive their replacement cards, please share these three tips with them:

1. Once you get your New Medicare card, destroy your old Medicare card and start using your new one right away. Don’t just throw the old card away—shred it or cut it into small pieces.
2. Doctors, other health care providers, and plans approved by Medicare know that Medicare is replacing your old card. They’re ready to accept your new card when you need care.
3. Beware of anyone contacting you about your new Medicare card and asking for your Medicare number, personal information, or to pay a fee for your new card. Treat your Medicare number like you treat your Social Security or credit card numbers. Remember, you don’t need to do anything to get your new card. Medicare will never contact you uninvited to ask for your personal information.

In addition, just last month Social Security started removing the SSN from many of its notices and forms to prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and safeguard taxpayer dollars. These communications also include benefit-verification notices, Social Security post-entitlement notices, and certain documents sent to appointed representatives. The benefit-verification letter includes the recipient’s name and address. The SSN isn’t intended to serve as identification, nor should it be used as such by third parties.

For more information about the new Medicare card, click medicare.gov/newcard. You can also check Medicare.gov for tips to prevent Medicare fraud.

Social Security is pleased to share the list of the Top Ten Baby Names of 2017 for boys and girls. This is our annual list of the most popular baby names based on Social Security number applications.

Jacob and Abigail came in at No. 10 on this year’s list. To learn the other names that made the list, view our Top 10 2017 Baby Names Reveal video or click on our Baby Names page.

For more than 80 years, Social Security has helped secure today and tomorrow. From programs that help support them through life’s journey, to services that give beneficiaries more control, to systems that help protect what’s important to them, Social Security is committed to helping workers and their families.

You’re invited!

Please register here to participate in Social Security’s National Disability Forum on Financial Independence: Directing the Management of One’s Social Security Benefits.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT at 1100 New York Avenue NW, Suite 200 East, Washington, DC 20005. You may also participate in the forum via teleconference in listening mode only.

We are exploring ideas to enhance our instructions for the Representative Payee program. Your input is needed on how we can best assess a beneficiary’s ability to direct the management of his or her benefits. We are also interested in feedback on what role a supporter may play for such beneficiaries.

Session 1 – 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. EDT
How to Strengthen & Clarify Instructions on Directing the Management of Benefits

Session 2 – 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT
How to Define the Role of a Supporter for Individuals who Direct the Management of Their Benefits

Howard Goldman, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, will moderate the discussion.

Panelists

• Marty Ford, Senior Executive Officer, Public Policy, The Arc
• Nina Kohn, Associate Dean for Research and Online Education, Syracuse University College of Law
• Pamela Teaster PhD., Director, Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech
• Ruth Luckasson, Chair, Department of Special Education, University of New Mexico College of Education
• Andrew Sperling, Director, Legislative Affairs, Advocacy & Public Policy, National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Kate Lang, Senior Staff Attorney, Justice in Aging
• Kelly A. Thompson, Esq., Thompson Wildhack, PLC Attorneys at Law
• Dari Pogach, Staff Attorney, American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging
• Susanne Horn, MSW, Representative Payee Program Manager, Bread for the City

Join the Online Discussion

We invite your ideas about the topic on our IdeaScale engagement site until Friday, April 6, 2018.

You can send questions before and during the forum to NationalDisabilityForum@ssa.gov. We also invite you to follow us on Twitter and ask questions during the event. The Twitter handle is @SSAOutreach. Please use #SSANDForum.

We hope you can join us and look forward to your participation.

Join us on Facebook for a Social Security Live chat on Thursday, March 8, 2018 at 11 a.m. EST. We will be speaking with special guest, Lisa Schifferle of the Federal Trade Commission.

During this live event, we will share important tips on consumer protection and how to safeguard your identity. We will also be discussing how to get involved in spreading the word during National Consumer Protection Week.

To join us, RSVP on our Facebook page and get a reminder HERE. We will be featuring questions from the public and look forward to hearing from you. Please note that a recording of the broadcast will be closed captioned and added to our YouTube channel within one week.

Don’t miss this engaging opportunity to learn from the experts!

Starting April 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will begin mailing new Medicare cards to all people with Medicare.

Instead of a Social Security Number, the new card will have a Medicare Number that’s unique to each person with Medicare. The new card will help protect identities and keep personal information more secure. Medicare coverage and benefits will stay the same.

Medicare will automatically mail new cards at no cost to the address on file here at Social Security. So making sure the address of anyone you’re helping is up-to-date is important. An address can be updated easily by signing in to or creating a my Social Security account.

As consumers begin to receive cards, we ask that you share these 3 important tips with them:

1. Destroy your old Medicare card right away.
2. Use your new card. Doctors, other health care providers, and plans approved by Medicare know that Medicare is replacing the old cards. They are ready to accept your new card when you need care.
3. Beware of people contacting you about your new Medicare card and asking you for your Medicare Number, personal information, or to pay a fee for your new card. Treat your Medicare Number like you treat your Social Security or credit card numbers. Remember, Medicare will never contact you uninvited to ask for your personal information.

Please share this information through your networks. For more information about the new Medicare card, visit go.medicare.gov/newcard. You can also visit Medicare.gov for tips to prevent Medicare fraud.