House Ways and Means Committee

• CBO finds cancelling vendor withholding would increase deficit

  The bill to repeal a requirement that governments withhold some payments to vendors would add more than $11 billion to the deficit, according the Congressional Budget Office. A key House committee has already passed the bill.

  Congress

  October 18, 2011
• SSA claims process vulnerable to wasteful spending

  The Social Security Administration\'s process for citizens to file claims can create just as much wasteful spending as intentional fraud.

  Budget

  June 15, 2011
• SSA getting caught up in budget unrest

  AFGE plans to protest on Wednesday the possible spending cuts to the Social Security Administration in more than 20 states. SSA Commission Astrue tried to alleviate spending concerns with an e-mail to employees. Meanwhile, SSA and AFGE are negotiating a new contract.

  Budget

  February 28, 2011
• SSA facing potential budget cuts, IT delays

  Agency officials say the House\'s proposed budget could mean furloughs and layoffs. Reduced funding also could slow the construction of SSA\'s new data center. Officials say the current computer center poses a high risk for outages that would impact critical operations.

  Budget

  February 22, 2011
• Hearing offers suggestions for reducing Medicare waste, fraud

  Errors, waste, and fraud in the Medicare system was the topic of conversation before the House Ways and Means Subcommittees on Health and Oversight today.

  Congress

  June 15, 2010
• SSA staying on top of claims increase

  Commissioner Astrue tells House committee that despite the recession, the agency still plans on reducing its disability claims backlog. SSA using a combination of technology, new employees and improved processes to continue on the path to eliminate its hearings backlog by 2013. State agency furloughs, however, are causing additional challenges with the log jam of claims.

  Budget

  April 28, 2010
• Health care reform rises to top of priority list

  The reformation of the country\'s health care system is one of the next priorities for President Barack Obama and Congress, and the Department of Health and Human Services and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services will be at the center of this effort.

  Technology

  February 17, 2009