Social Security disability policy is being driven by media exploitation. The media are guilty of misinformation, biased reporting and poor journalism. This is nowhere seen plainer than in the series of National Public Radio pieces of Social Security disability. The misinformation was so blatant that the former commissioners of Social Security issued an open letter to clarify. Since, NPR has responded, acknowledging that their journalism had its problems.
Yet, the poor media performance is still driving unwise changes in Social Security disability policy. Even as NPR was back peddling on their story, the president of the Association of Administrative Law Judges promised a "change in the way disability hearings are conducted."
I am afraid that we don't understand how Social Security disability hearings are now handled. The truth is, it is more difficult now than ever to win a disability hearing. Far from being grantors of government handouts, administrative law judges are skeptical, careful and excessively protective of benefits. The award rates continue to fall. In short, only the most qualified applicants are getting awards and these decisions must be supported by impeachable medical evidence.
In rushing to make change, I fear that we will further impede the ability of desperate, needy and eligible claimants to access basic medical care and benefits to which they are entitled under the Social Security Act. Attending a disability hearing is intimidating and fearsome for most applicants. The process is becoming more "adversarial" all the time. I feel this is being driven by bad press. The guardians of Social Security, the Acting Commissioner and the Congress, should be careful about taking any action that puts the disabled claimant in an adversarial role vs. the power of the US Government. That would be adverse to everything the Social Security Act envisioned for our country.
As the media continues to feed "garbage in," we must be prudent as policy makers that the result is not "garbage out."
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