Cardiac Listing This was a very informative seminar which was a basic primer on the anatomy and physiology of the heart and then discussed the specific cardiac listings in layman terms. Following are a few highlights of that informative presentation. There are four chambers to the heart with the top chambers called the right and left atriums and the bottom chambers called the right and left ventricles. The right side of the heart takes in blood through the atrium and out through the right ventricle to the lungs to be oxygen- ated. The left side of the heart muscle is three times as strong as the right since it takes the oxygen- ated blood from the lungs and pumps it to the rest of the body. The pressure on the left side of the heart is lower than the right side of the heart where the blood is pumped to the lungs. Left heart failure is where the left ventricle is unable to pump the blood to the body adequately. Shortness Editor’s Note: Lewis Seward was kind enough to provide the fol- lowing summary of the seminars and events from the NOSSCR con- ference that tookplace in San Di- ego, CA in April. By Carl A. Anderson ANDERSON, ANDERSON & ASSOCIATES Detroit, MI Section Council Memberand Newsletter EditorC C O O N N T T E E N N T T S S C C O O N N T T E E N N T T S S C C O O N N T T E E N N T T S S C C O O N N T T E E N N T T S S C C O O N N T T E E N N T T S S F F F F F F F F F F r r r r r r r r r r o o m m t t o o m m t t o o m m t t o o m m t t o o m m t t h h e e C C h h a a h h e e C C h h a a h h e e C C h h a a h h e e C C h h a a h h e e C C h h a a i i r r i i r r i i r r i i r r i i r r 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 S S S S S S S S S S e e c c t t e e c c t t e e c c t t e e c c t t e e c c t t i i o o n n A A i i o o n n A A i i o o n n A A i i o o n n A A i i o o n n A A c c t t c c t t c c t t c c t t c c t t i i v v i i t t i i v v i i t t i i v v i i t t i i v v i i t t i i v v i i t t i i e e i i e e i i e e i i e e i i e e s s s s s s s s s s 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 P P r r P P r r P P r r P P r r P P r r a a c c t t a a c c t t a a c c t t a a c c t t a a c c t t i i c c e e P P i i c c e e P P i i c c e e P P i i c c e e P P i i c c e e P P o o i i n n t t o o i i n n t t o o i i n n t t o o i i n n t t o o i i n n t t e e r r s s e e r r s s e e r r s s e e r r s s e e r r s s 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 O O D D I I O O D D I I O O D D I I O O D D I I O O D D I I O O M M o o d d u u l l e e T T O O M M o o d d u u l l e e T T O O M M o o d d u u l l e e T T O O M M o o d d u u l l e e T T O O M M o o d d u u l l e e T T e e l l e e p p h h o o n n e e N N u u m m b b e e r r s s e e l l e e p p h h o o n n e e N N u u m m b b e e r r s s e e l l e e p p h h o o n n e e N N u u m m b b e e r r s s e e l l e e p p h h o o n n e e N N u u m m b b e e r r s s e e l l e e p p h h o o n n e e N N u u m m b b e e r r s s 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R O O O O O O O O O O M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E V V V V V V V V V V I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R O O O O O O O O O O M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E V V V V V V V V V V I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R F F R R O O O O O O O O O O M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R M M T T H H E E G G R R A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E A A P P E E V V V V V V V V V V I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E I I N N E E C C o o n n t t i i n n u u e e d d o o n n p p a a g g e e 6 6 S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S S A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A n n n n n n n n n n n n o o u u n n c c e e n n o o u u n n c c e e n n o o u u n n c c e e n n o o u u n n c c e e n n o o u u n n c c e e s s C C h h a a s s C C h h a a s s C C h h a a s s C C h h a a s s C C h h a a n n g g n n g g n n g g n n g g n n g g e e e e e e e e e e s s s s s s s s s s t t t t t t t t t t o o t t o o t t o o t t o o t t o o t t h h e e S S h h e e S S h h e e S S h h e e S S h h e e S S e e n n i i o o r r A A t t t t e e n n i i o o r r A A t t t t e e n n i i o o r r A A t t t t e e n n i i o o r r A A t t t t e e n n i i o o r r A A t t t t o o r r o o r r o o r r o o r r o o r r n n e e n n e e n n e e n n e e n n e e y y P P r r y y P P r r y y P P r r y y P P r r y y P P r r o o g g o o g g o o g g o o g g o o g g r r r r r r r r r r a a a a a a a a a a m m m m m m m m m m At last year’s annual section meeting, the Honorable Mar- tin Magid, Chief ALJ for the Detroit OHA, stated that he was particularly pleased with the performance of the SeniorAttorney Program in his office. From my discussions with many of my colleagues, I can safely say that Judge Magid is not alone in his admiration for the program. Under the program, OHA staff attorneys search through the OHA docket of pending cases, looking for claimants whose case may be paid on the record and for whom a hearing would be unnecessary. If further development of the case is needed to support a favorable decision, the staff at- torneys are empowered to obtain such additional evidence. When there is sufficient evidence in the record, the sta ff at- torneys issue favorable decisions. It should be noted, how- C C o o n n t t i i n n u u e e d d o o n n p p a a g g e e 5 5 N O SS C R N O SS C R N O S S C R N O S S C R N O S S C R S S S S E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R U U U U U U U U U U P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E N O S S C R N O S S C R N O S S C R N O S S C R N O SS C R S S S E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R U U U U U U U U U U P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E N O S S C R N O S S C R N O SS C R N O SS C R N O SS C R S S S S E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M E E M M I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R I I N N A A R R U U U U U U U P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A P P D D A A T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E T T E E J Ju ul ly y1 1 9 99 98 8V Vo ol lu um me e1 1
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I hope you enjoy this first issue of our Sectionnewsletter.
This newsletter will keep you better informed
of Section activities, hopefully with more warn
ing. Elsewhere, you will find dates of the Annua
Meeting in Lansing and future general section
meetings. We have managed to avoid a direc
conflict with the Workers’ Compensation Sec-
tion, as many of our members are in both. This
meeting will include the election of officers and
council members. We want to encourage as
many members as possible to become activelyinvolved in the Section. If you are interested in
serving on the Council or a committee, please
call or write.
Commissioner Apfel was recently in Detroit
with Congressman Sander Levin as part of loca
round tables on the issue of future funding of
SSA into the next century. I was present on be-
half of the Section. I would anticipate more of
these being held nationwide, perhaps not all with
participation by SSA management. Presiden
Clinton and Congress are trying to develop some public consensus as to which of the various strat-
egies are more (or less) acceptable and desir-
able. Do not be afraid to air your views, particu-
larly with our experience with SSA.
Regarding regulatory news, SSA seems to be
backing away from revising the rules on th
Workers’ Compensation offset. I sense their con-
cern is more related to the cost to the states
OFFICERS
Chairperson
Evan A. Zagoria
Southfield
Chairperson-Elect
Deanna J. Lee-Kaniowski
Southfield
SecretaryDiane M. Kwitoski
Pontiac
Treasurer
Edward M. WaudPetosky
C OUNCILM EMBERS
Carl A. Anderson
Detroit
David B. Newman
Berkley
Lewis M. Seward
Bay City
Thomas M. Stellard
Grand Rapids
Marsha E. WoodsLansing
C OMMISSIONERL IAISON
Reginald M. Turner Detroit
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ever, that staff attorneys do not issue unfavorable decisions.If, after additional development, the record does not sup-
port a disability finding, the case is placed back on the docket
to be scheduled for a hearing before an ALJ.
Personally, I have found the Senior Attorney Program to
be an unqualified success. On many occasions, I have re-
ceived notification that a claimant’s case was being reviewed
by a staff attorney. Often, after some small development, anupdated doctor’s report or an agreement to amend an onset
date, I would receive a favorable decision.
It now appears that we are witnessing the end of this suc-
cessful program in favor of another, far less promising, initia-
tive. The current program is scheduled to end on June 30,
1998. Although it appears that the program will be extended
for an additional nine months, through March 31, 1999, SSAhas planned many changes that will certainly diminish its ef-
fectiveness.
The most significant change is the drastic reduction in the
number of senior attorneys in the program. Nationwide, cur-
rently there are approximately 494 senior attorney positions.
SSA proposes to reduce that number to 309. Locally, the
loss of senior attorney positions is staggering. In the Detroit
OHA, for example, there are currently nine senior attor-neys. Under the new proposal, this number would be re-
duced to two. It appears that Lansing and Flint OHA’s will
have only two senior attorney positions, while the Oak Park
OHA will have two - three positions, and Grand Rapids will
have only one. Under the program as modified, senior attor-neys would do senior attorney work 100% of the time. They
would be expected to review and develop 75 cases per
month, and they would issue at least 20 senior attorney de-
cisions per month. The Regional Chief ALJ will select who
fills the slots, based on merit.
The deleterious effect that these changes will have upon
the Senior Attorney Program is obvious. In places like theDetroit OHA, two people will now be asked to do the work
that was previously performed by nine. Accordingly, many
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1
1 meritorious cases will be missed, and many more unneces-sary hearings will be scheduled. Many senior attorneys wil
also face a demotion from GS-13 to GS-12, thereby losing
thousands of dollars in pay each year. A corresponding nega-
tive effect on OHA morale and work product can be an
ticipated.
These proposed changes to the Senior Attorney Program
are not that surprising, however, as the program has alwaysfaced significant opposition. In some OHA’s the program
was never fully implemented, as the redirection of personnel
reduced the number of attorneys available for ALJ decision
drafting, and the issuance of senior attorney decisions took
some “easy” cases away from ALJ’s. Moreover, the Adju-dication Officer (AO) Project, which has produced fewer
favorable decisions, and, in many cases, has resulted in an-
other needless step on the way to a hearing, is favored over
the Senior Attorney Program by some policy makers withinSSA. It has been said that some opponents of the SeniorAttorney program would like to see no senior attorneys in
offices that also have the AO Project. Additionally, sources
both inside and close to SSA have indicated that the Dis-
ability Process Redesign Team desires to avoid competition
between the Senior Attorney Program and the AO Project
by shutting down the Senior Attorney Program altogether. Itis anticipated that the AO Project will be implemented na-
tionwide sometime after March 31, 1999.
It is my understanding that the entire motivation behind process redesign is the elimination of wasteful, unnecessary
aspects of the disability determination system. It is difficult
then to understand how the implementation of a needless
and wasteful project, at the expense of a beneficial and productive initiative, effectuates that goal. If ALJ hearings
are too costly, then SSA should take steps to ensure that
unnecessary hearings are avoided. Accordingly, the Senior
Attorney Program is a step in the right direction.
As claimant representatives, we should not allow this pro-
gram to be sacrificed without a fight. I would strongly urgeany and all Social Security disability attorneys to contac
their Congressman and Senators with letters of support.