Important Notice Regarding the Visually Impaired

SSA would like to make you aware of a notice that will be of interest to people who are visually impaired (and their representatives) and who either receive or applied for Social Security retirement, survivors or disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

A federal court has authorized a class action lawsuit against the Social Security Administration (SSA) on behalf of people with visual impairments who require communications from SSA to be in an accessible format in order to participate in the Social Security or SSI programs. The court has authorized two classes: If you have a visual impairment that substantially limits the major life activity of seeing and you (1) apply for or are receiving Social Security or SSI benefits, or (2) are the representative payee for a Social Security beneficiary or SSI recipient, then you are a member of at least one of the two classes. This means that the court's decision in this case may affect your rights. The case, called American Council of the Blind v. Astrue, No. C05-04696, is pending in the federal district court in San Francisco, California.

The court would like maximum input from the class members. The below number and e-mail may be used to provide class counsel with suggestions about how SSA can effectively communicate with people who have visual impairments. You should give class counsel your comments by December 31, 2008. To do so, contact this toll free number or E-mail address:

ARLENE B. MAYERSON
SILVIA YEE
DISABILITY RIGHTS EDUCATION AND DEFENSE FUND, INC. (DREDF)
Telephone: 1-800-348-4232
E-Mail: SSAinfo@dredf.org

To listen to an audio recording of the notice in English or Spanish, call our toll- free number, 866-940-0765.

For more information about this case, American Council of the Blind v. Astrue, read our online NOTICE at www.socialsecurity.gov/pgm/classaction.htm.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

People Who Want Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Should Apply Now

It’s open season for the Medicare prescription drug program. Everyone who is covered under Medicare is eligible for the prescription drug coverage. From November 15 to December 31, newcomers can join a prescription drug plan and people already participating should look at their current plans.

It’s also a good time for beneficiaries to investigate whether they may be eligible for extra help paying Medicare prescription drug program costs. Social Security offers extra help to participants who have limited income and resources.

The extra help will pay for all or most of the monthly premiums and annual deductibles. It also will help with the prescription co-payments. This extra help is worth an average of $3,600 per year. Some people with limited income and resources qualify for these big savings and don’t even know it.

Learn more about extra help and apply online by going to www.socialsecurity.gov/prescriptionhelp/index.htm.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Representative Payees Can Now File Reports Online

Social Security appoints a relative, friend, institution or other interested party to receive benefits on behalf of more than seven million people who need help managing their money. These representative payees use the benefits on the person’s behalf and have to file a report every year showing how the funds were used. Until recently, this was done by filling out a paper report form and mailing it to Social Security.

Now representative payees can submit their annual accounting reports online at www.socialsecurity.gov/payee. After signing up for a user ID and password which can be reused year after year, payees can go to the online form and enter the necessary information. The online Representative Payee Accounting Form is easy to use and takes less time than filling out and mailing a paper form.

When payees have completed the report, they can print a copy for their records. Social Security will send a confirmation message saying the report has been received.

For more information, visit our website at www.socialsecurity.gov/payee.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees

On September 30, 2008, President Bush signed into law H.R. 2608, the "SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act" (Public Law 110-328). The law will increase the time-limited SSI eligibility period for certain noncitizens (e.g., refugees and asylees) from 7 to 9 years and make exceptions for individuals with naturalization applications pending. Although Social Security was given no lead time or administrative funding, we intend to implement this complicated legislation accurately and quickly. In October, Social Security executives met with a coalition of immigration and disability advocates to open the dialogue and work collegially to implement the law. Working together, we established accurate and fair implementation practices, shared our internal instructions, and gained support from the advocates to help Social Security identify refugees and asylees who can benefit from the law. In addition, the advocates offered the agency assistance reaching the many refugees and asylees who will benefit by the law.

To read more detailed information about the law, visit http://www.socialsecurity.gov/legislation/legis_bulletin_100108.htm.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Traumatic Brain Injuries and Stroke the Subject of Social Security’s Third Compassionate Allowances Hearing

Social Security held its third public hearing on Compassionate Allowances on November 18 at Ft. Myer in Arlington, VA.

Senior executives from the Department of Defense and the National Institutes of Health joined Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security, to hear testimony from some of the nation’s leading experts on traumatic brain injury (the most common injury of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan) and stroke.

Compassionate Allowances are a way of quickly identifying diseases and other medical conditions that invariably qualify under Social Security’s disability standards based on minimal objective medical information. This hearing was the third of four public hearings the agency plans to hold. Previous hearings dealt with cancers and rare diseases and resulted in the nationwide launch of the Compassionate Allowances initiative in October 2008.

For more information about Compassionate Allowances and the most recent hearing, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Hiring authority makes it easier to hire disabled employees

by 2nd Lt. Gina Vaccaro
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs

12/1/2008 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Air Force officials are working to increase manager understanding of how to hire qualified people with disabilities. The Schedule A hiring authority, a noncompetitive government hiring process, allows federal employers to hire qualified people with mental retardation, severe physical disabilities or psychiatric disabilities to civilian positions.

"While the Schedule A hiring authority is not new, it seems to have been under publicized," said Michelle Siples, the human resources specialist for the program oversight office at the Air Force Personnel Center here. "Schedule A is designed to remove barriers for people with disabilities to get hired and to increase employment opportunities for persons with disabilities."

Air Force officials have set a goal to be the employer of choice in the disability community and is working toward achieving a Department of Defense goal to have 2 percent of its workforce comprised of individuals with targeted disabilities by the year 2010. According to the Air Force Equal Opportunity and Diversity Program Office, known as AF/A1Q, the Air Force is still at less than 1 percent.

The Schedule A hiring authority allows federal employers to quickly fill positions with qualified individuals with disabilities. The process is non-competitive, which means human resources specialists and/or selective placement coordinators send resumes of qualified applicants directly to managers. If a manager likes the resume, he has the option to hire the individual immediately.

With Schedule A, employers can hire a candidate without the typical posting and publicizing of the position that the competitive recruitment process requires. Schedule A eliminates many of the competitive hiring steps, reducing the time it takes to fill a needed position.

"This is an excellent opportunity for managers to make a difference by hiring people with disabilities into the workforce, to continue to build and enhance the force with people from diverse backgrounds," Ms. Siples said. "People with diverse backgrounds bring so much to the workplace."

To be eligible for noncompetitive appointment using the Schedule A hiring authority, candidates must obtain written proof of disability and a certification of job readiness from a licensed medical professional, a state or private vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any government agency that issues or provides disability benefits. Candidates must also meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualification standards for all positions he is applying for.

The requirements for each position, such as education and experience, are listed on the OPM Web site. The site also contains information about the hiring process for people with disabilities and even has a list of selective placement coordinators for each federal agency.

Individuals with disabilities may apply for noncompetitive appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority by submitting an application and any necessary supporting documentation directly to the selective placement coordinator or equivalent.

"We are optimistic that we can reach the DOD goal of 2 percent by 2010," Ms. Siples said. "We have seen a significant increase in interest in the schedule A program since September."

The AF/A1Q continues to raise awareness of the program among managers and potential candidates. Air Force officials have formed a people with disabilities working group to develop a plan to increase the number of employees with disabilities in the Air Force workforce.

For more information about the Schedule A hiring authority and options for people with disabilities, visit the OPM Web site, http://www.opm.gov/, or AFPC's "Ask" Web Site and search "disability employment."


Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com

Obama picks Daschle as health secretary: official

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama has chosen former U.S. Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle as his top official to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system, two Democratic sources said on Wednesday.

As Health and Human Services secretary, Daschle will play a central role in the president-elect's plans to extend healthcare coverage to the 47 million Americans -- nearly one-sixth of the population -- who lack medical insurance.

Daschle, of South Dakota, was an early supporter of Obama's, encouraging the first-term senator from Illinois to make his presidential run.

He is currently head of Obama's health-care policy group as the president-elect prepares to take office on January 20.

Daschle would be a high-profile pick to head an agency that oversees existing healthcare programs like Medicare, which are expected to see their costs balloon as the U.S. population ages.

Daschle, who was elected to the Senate in 1986, was the top Democrat in the Senate between 1994 and 2004, and majority leader when Democrats controlled the chamber between 2001 and 2003. He was a member of the House of Representatives for eight years before becoming a senator.

Since losing his re-election bid in 2004, Daschle has worked as a public-policy advisor for the law firm Alston and Bird.

He was not immediately available for comment.

Daschle was reported to be a candidate for Obama's chief of staff before that job went to Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan, Caren Bohan and Jeff Mason, Editing by Frances Kerry)


Any questions may be directed to: rsi5@srt.com