NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Proposed SSA Change Would Cut Benefits for Disabled Individuals

Restricting appeals process would deny many eligible applicants their Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and SSI benefits

Washington, DC – The Social Security Administration is proposing to sharply restrict appeal rights for severely disabled individuals applying for Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
If the proposed regulation is adopted, severely disabled persons will be denied access to over $2.0 billion in benefits over the next ten years – not because they do not meet the eligibility criteria in the law, but because they could not successfully navigate the complex new procedural requirements established by the proposed rule.

Nearly two decades ago, the Social Security Administration attempted to put forth a similar rule restricting appeal rights and instituting new procedural complexities. It was quickly abandoned in the face of public outcry.

Today, a letter objecting to the regulation was filed by eleven House Committee and Subcommittee chairs, including the chairs of the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

December 20, 2007 letter
Proposed Legislation

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