Social Security Official Asks House for More Customer Service Funding

[goillini52]

That was nasty and uncalled for.

 

[Helpico_Insure]

I was just going to comment that they were working the whole time. Obviously remotely.

It was very bad remote work. I experienced the quality. I will say they tried us on slef medicare and self ss benefits enrolling. No, we aren't ready YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Helpico_Insure]

Social Security Official Stumps for 2023 Budget Increase | ThinkAdvisor

The SSA closed its field offices in March 2020 and moved as many functions as possible to call centers and online systems.

The agency reopened the field offices April 7.

“Reentry has been smooth,” Kim said at the hearing.

But she reported that call volume and field office visit volume are extremely high.

Employee attrition levels are high, and the remaining employees say they feel their workloads are unreasonably heavy, Kim added.

I wrote a letter to all high officials asking why the entire country is working and somehow running, but the ss admin doesn't? What is going on? : governor and president (ha-ha) including (The white House). after 9 months the president answered that he asked the ss administration to respond.

 

[goillini52]

Most (if not all) federal employees are paid even when the office is closed due to govt shutdown, budget concerns, etc.

People in the private sector were not paid during the 2+ year lockdown unless they were allowed to work remote. Many private sector jobs have completely vanished, never to return.

SSA employees need to suck it up.

I agree with you Bob, they need to suck it up.

 

[Travis Price]

It was very bad remote work. I experienced the quality. I will say they tried us on slef medicare and self ss benefits enrolling. No, we aren't ready YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, you need to understand that literally SSA/DDS was at work and they told us get your computers and go home. We didn't have a phone line for almost two weeks after.

You're absolutely right, we weren't prepared. There was no plan for this for anyone.

I wrote a letter to all high officials asking why the entire country is working and somehow running, but the ss admin doesn't?

Again, unlike most businesses, government agencies are ALWAYS slower to respond. There are multiple barriers and stakeholders that are injecting their opinion. Plus, we deal with VERY sensitive personal information. So it's important that SSA and associated agencies keep your information secure.

Just think how bad it is when you hear a story that the government may have leaked your information.

Government is literally nothing like private. It should never be treated as a business, but could take some tools from business to be more agile.

 

[Truce]

If I want to enroll someone into an ACA plan with tax credits, there is an instant online check with Medicare , IRS, Homeland security to determine parts of their eligibility. The information isn't any less sensitive the Medicare, and the ramifications (many of thousands of dollars of up front federal tax credits) are more serious than Medicare enrollment. As a broker, I enter the data then move on to plan enrollment. It's INSTANT for a large segment of the population.

What is preventing social security from having many the Medicare enrollments that require paper to be done in this way? They can already confirm recent group coverage using 1095 info. A phone call scheduled two months out to do a Part B application because the people are stuck in password jail? That's just unacceptable. It just seems like the SS employees are burdened with a self inflicted wound of being forced to deal with situations that should and could be automated. I have no grudge against the individual employees, but the solution isn't more of them doing the same inefficient system.

I don't know what it is Travis, but from my POV it's worse than just not being agile.

 

[somarco]

Some folks live in their own world, and really have little understanding of how the private sector works. Government employees are mostly sheltered from the real world and have little appreciation for low paid workers, no benefits, who went for weeks/months without a paycheck. Unemployment was not enough to sustain.

When the lockdown was lifted the MSM and government (FAUCI) sufficiently frightened folks into believing it was unsafe to return to work or go anywhere without a hazmat suit.

Much of the economy was screwed by power hungry politicians who enjoyed telling others what they can and cannot do.

There is another world outside the skirts of government where people can be fired at will in many states, they don't have a union to protect them or end up being promoted or reassigned no matter how incompetent they may be.

Many government employees can't cut it in a world of performance evaluations and accountability.

In my city many of the govt jobs are on the rail or bus line and they cater to low education workers who are looking for a job for life with benefits.

When I worked for a carrier and was in a position to hire support staff most of those who applied would ask "is the job on the bus line?" . . . my response was honestly "I have no idea".

If they are too lazy to check the bus route they probably won't last long in the open position.

Medicare/SSA is now taking 3 months or longer to process T65 applications and telling folks no problem, we will back date your coverage.

What good does that do for someone who is losing coverage the month they turn 65 or those paying outrageous COBRA or Obamacare premiums? When Medicare backdates coverage they have an overlap which means they 2x paid for health insurance. And what if they have claims?

If SSA/Medicare can't get their shit together it needs to be privatized.

 

[kgmom219]

I'm not getting in the middle of the pissing contest, but THANK GOD. Its been a disaster since March 2020.

And at no point, did I think the issue was with SSA employees. They were overworked and underpaid, just like every other government employee. The faxing issue reminded me of BCBSTX until a few years ago and we learned quickly to fax on Saturday mornings, so it would get through.

I've lost track of how many people I had to send to their Congressional Reps to get stuff moving on their Part B enrollment. That's ridiculous. And these were all US Citizens, born inside the US, whose only issue was that they worked past their 65th IEP.

 

[Travis Price]

Some folks live in their own world, and really have little understanding of how the private sector works. Government employees are mostly sheltered from the real world and have little appreciation for low paid workers, no benefits, who went for weeks/months without a paycheck. Unemployment was not enough to sustain

Yeah, also bullshit.

I spent 12 years in private:

Retail, manufacturing, construction, and small engine repair.

Is there an element of what you're talking about? Absolutely. It's it reality with most front line workers? Absolutely not.

Many government employees can't cut it in a world of performance evaluations and accountability.

Also bullshit. SSA workers have constant performance reviews (at least 2 a year, where it's a meeting with your boss) and in my case I was accountable to three oversight systems, one state, two federal that was constant.

Case processing time IS a monitored metric and you are absolutely held to that standard. It was adjusted under COVID, but when EVERYONE is still falling short, it's not so simple.

If SSA/Medicare can't get their shit together it needs to be privatized.

Thats equally a dumb af statement. How's Medicare Advantage working again?

Privatizing, for profit, a public service totally doesn't screw the entire system up.

In my city many of the govt jobs are on the rail or bus line and they cater to low education workers who are looking for a job for life with benefits

That's cute... have you ever tried to get a federal job? It's probably the most pain in the ass process know to mankind. That most people are rejected from.

If they were just recruiting dumbass people then how come there's a shortage? All those "for lifers" quiting in droves without replacement.. nothing to see here.

Insurance sales is a retirement play for me. It's nothing compared to working for the government. Considering only one of us has working private, public, and in sales... your argument is a clown car of bullshit.

I don't know what it is Travis, but from my POV it's worse than just not being agile.

No offense, your POV really doesn't mean anything. Because you literally are looking from the outside. You don't realize the laborious measure that it takes to change a government system.

It's not "just do it." It's Congressional budget, it's administrative goals (from the President and appointed Commissioners), it's a whole lot more than slapping a website up and "sucking it up."

PS: SSA personnel absolutely have more information than you know about. I mean, I only had access to systems for 7.5 years, working with state and federal management all the way up to Congressional level representatives.

That's not a weird flex or anything..It's that while you guys run your mouth about shit you literally don't know anything about, I lived through working with SSA, up to with Grace, through Covid.

I chose to work about 10-15 hours a week and make as much as I did, if not more, than when I left...

Come at me when you've actually have to work in a truly broken system.. where they have gates on the customer windows because people lunge or spit at them. Or when you're being threatened by the people you're charged to serve.

Otherwise, stay in your fucking lane. Most of you really couldn't handle that job, but like to run your mouth like you know what you're talking about.

FFS: I did it and quit because it became too much.

 

[Travis Price]

I've lost track of how many people I had to send to their Congressional Reps to get stuff moving on their Part B enrollment. That's ridiculous. And these were all US Citizens, born inside the US, whose only issue was that they worked past their 65th IEP.

You're right. There's absolutely room for improvement. Truth is, SSA is overwhelmed. A lot of that has to do with no plan.. It's definitely a leadership issue problem.. However, it's hard when we've had three Commissioners and President's over the last 6 years with vastly different objectives.

What really annoys me, is that people have zero clue what they're talking about. "Poorly educated" irks me even more. If it's so easy, maybe they should apply.