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Committee on Ways and Means For Immediate Release Subcommittee Explores Improvements in the Social Security Disability Program Congress is working to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities WASHINGTON - On Thursday, June 11, 2002, the Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee will hold its third hearing to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the Social Security Disability programs. This hearing will focus on: (1) how the Social Security Administration (SSA) defines disability; (2) how well the definition of disability in law, along with SSA’s determination of what constitutes disability, addresses the needs of today’s workers and beneficiaries; and the intent of these programs. During the first hearing, the Subcommittee heard an overview of challenges to the programs. The second hearing focused on reasons for delays, complexities and inconsistencies in the disability determination and appeals process, and explored recommendations for change. “Medical treatment, assistive technology and the nature of work itself has changed significantly since Social Security’s disability programs were created in the 1950’s and 1970’s,” Subcommittee Chairman Clay Shaw (R-FL) said. “Its long past time for us to carefully and thoughtfully examine how disability is defined to ensure the benefits provided today and in the future continue to keep pace with the needs of our ever-changing society.”
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