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Grave Concerns: CDC Publishes Latest Life Expectancy Data

Dec 1, 2023

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published its findings on life expectancy in the USA for the year 2022. The figures show an increase on the previous year, but still remain low compared to 2019, the last year before the pandemic, and...

A Salute: How Social Security Aids Veterans

Nov 16, 2023

On November 11 we’ll commemorate Veterans Day and Social Security has chosen to remind us of the role it can play in aiding veterans with disabilities. Those who served in the military and who now have a disability are entitled to VA (Veterans Affairs) Disability...

2024 Medicare Premiums and Deductibles Are Out!

Nov 8, 2023

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently published the 2024 Medicare premium and deductible costs. In a disappointing reversal of last year's drop in costs, there's a $9.80 increase in the standard part B premium, which will send it bouncing...

QR Barging: SSA’s New Mobile Check-In Express

Oct 27, 2023

In another move to seemingly keep with the times Social Security has introduced a new Mobile Check-in Express feature. The set- up purports to ease the check in process for anyone visiting an SSA office, although it remains unclear to this reader of the promotional...

Shifting Gear: Maryland’s Durable Medical Equipment Re-use Program

Oct 20, 2023

One of the ways the Maryland Department of Aging has been working to provide assistance to Marylanders with disabilities is the, perhaps under-advertised, Durable Medical Equipment Re-use (DME) program. As the name suggests, it is looking to help local residents...

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Forking Out: SNAP Updates and Maryland’s Response

It is now widely known that it is forty-two million Americans who receive SNAP benefits, still also known as food stamps. They remain at the mercy of a government, which has remained shut down for thirty-seven days at the time of writing, and shows no sign of opening...

SSA Announces 2026 COLAs

2026’s Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) was recently published and there are some limited but welcome increases across the board. Benefits are due to go up 2.8%. In terms of how that looks to SSI recipients, it means that the Federal Benefit Rate (FBR) will rise to...

SSA Reveals Service Plan during the Federal Government Shutdown

Social Security has issued a statement on its Advocates webpage highlighting the level of its availability during the government shutdown which went into effect today, October 1. Crucially, all SSI and SSDI payments will continue without change and on the same payment...

Oscillate Wildly: Changes to SSDI Overpayment Recovery Rates

It may have escaped your attention, as it did this writer’s, that on August 29 this year Social Security issued Emergency Message 25029 REV. Emergency Messages are the agency’s method of notifying every office of the new protocols to follow. This one’s purpose is to...

Tapping In: Maryland’s Assistive Technology Financial Loan Program

To judge from the figures presented in the 2024 review of Maryland Department of Disabilities’ Technical Assistance Program (MDTAP) there’s not much knowledge within the state of the program itself or any of its projects. MDTAP has provided the Assistive Technology...

Listen Up: Maryland DDA’s Low Intensity Support Services Program Accepting Applications

Maryland’s Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) has long understood the need to provide funding to children and adults in the community in order that they might lead happier and more fully integrated lives in the community. What was once called Rolling...

Social Security Turns 90!

To commemorate this landmark birthday, we've re-published the open letter from Frank Bisignano, the agency's current commissioner. Today, we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Social Security—a program that has stood as a pillarof economic security and dignity for...

Healthy Options? USDA Encouraging SNAP Food Restrictions

In further changes under the new administration (remarkably, it has only been seven months) the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services are now actively seeking states to implement further restrictions on what you can buy with food...

As You Were: VCU’s National Training and Data Center Re-opens

Last week we reported that Virginia Commonwealth’s NTDC has been closed and all services terminated. This week Social Security announced that the center is open once more. Melanie Webb, the Branch Chief of SSA’s Employment Programs, sent out an n email to the nation’s...

VCU’s National Training and Data Center Closed Down

Benefits Counselors around the country received the news today that Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) was forced to close the National Training and Data Center (NTDC) on July 29. The brief announcement from Melanie Webb, Branch Chief of Employment Programs at...