SSA News 
Top News
- Congress pressures agencies to speed up office consolidations
- Data breach puts DHS workers at risk of identity theft
- DoD chooses interoperability over integration for new e-health system
- Obama to nominate Tangherlini as GSA administrator
- House GOP panel moves on deep budget cuts
- OMB fuels synergy between mobile, open data
- IRS official Lerner: 'I did nothing wrong'
- Accountability breakdown leading factor in DoD sexual assaults
- OMB reworking financial system requirements to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Retirement funds temporarily tapped to avoid debt limit default
- VanRoekel to lead OMB management team
- Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal finalists
OPM shakes up retirement office to improve claims processing
The backlog of claims by federal employees who are retiring is growing larger. OPM said it takes more than 100 days to process a claim. OPM Director John Berry said the agency is increasing the claims processing staff and looking at ways technology can improve the process.
OMB asks agencies for self-assessments
The administration conducts its first set of reviews of the three-to-eight high priority goals each agency set last year. OMB is encouraging agencies to conduct their own reviews in order to keep focus on meeting the objectives. All agency performance information eventually will be made public through a new portal, Performance.gov.
Thinking small: SSA finds solutions to backlog of cases
SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue has taken extra funding, both from Congress' annual appropriations and from the Recovery Act, and invested in staffing and technology to fight the case backlog, Government Executive reports.
SSA renews computer matching program with OPM
The Social Security Administration is renewing a computer matching program with the Office of Personnel Management, the CCH website reports.
Agency services lack consistency, coordination
OMB finds that most website and call center operations are separate and don't work well together. Some agencies are following the private sector's lead by offering multiple channels to serve citizens. CMS and GSA both use online tools to answer questions more quickly and reliably.
Agencies to challenge citizens for solutions
GSA will unveil the Challenge.gov platform in the next few months where all agency competitions will be posted. Some agencies already are asking experts and employees for help. NASA will run 34 competitions before the end of December.
SSA office infested with bed bugs
According to a post on FedBizOpps.gov, the agency is looking for a company to provide it with extermination services, including the use of a Bed Bug Heat Treatment Oven.
Bedbugs invade file cabinets at SSA offices
If you're not convinced of the value of going paperless, consider this: New York City has a major bedbug infestation, and the pests have spread to the Social Security Administration's regional offices in Queens, N.Y.
State hopes technology will better secure passport process
GAO found significant success in obtaining passports using fraudulent documents in the second investigation in two years. While State is implementing facial recognition technology to close the existing gaps, lawmakers are introducing new legislation to give the agency more security capabilities.
SSA takes state furloughs to Congress
The Social Security Administration organizes and funds state disability programs, yet states have begun furloughs of these employees. SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue discusses what is behind this trend and why his agency is proposing a law to stop it.
Healthcare IT In Government "Progress & Best Practices"
July 6th
Program will discuss the current status and progress made in Healthcare IT & with the NHIN, best practices & benefits, challenges or major hurdles to still overcome, new technology advances, and the vision for the future for Health IT and NHIN.
GAO: Agency rules allow conferences at resort locations
A recent GAO report looked at agencies' policies for choosing the locations of conferences and found that cost was the number one factor when it came to planning. Details from GAO's Lorelei St. James.
SSA makes rural America accessible to all
If you have traveled out West, you have an idea of the vastness of parts of this country. Two Sammies nominees tell us how they've managed to close the gap -- literally.
Social Security Administration battles claims backlog
WFED's Jason Miller reports.
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.
OPM promotes 'Feds Get Fit' with recipe cookoff
The Office of Personnel Management wants to promote a healthy lifestyle for all Federal employees. Experts say one key is paying close attention to the food we eat. Along those lines, an unusual and first-ever, cooking competition was held in the OPM Cafeteria.
Baitman wants to bring SSA into the e-business world
Social Security CIO: potential to be an e-business is too great to pass up.
April 22, 2010
E-Verify: ready, willing and able?
Federal contractors are about to become the first mandatory users of the E-Verify system under a soon-to-be issued federal regulation. Is E-Verify ready?
Justice joins False Claims Act suit against EMC
Complaint filed accusing EMC Corp. of failing to disclose its commercial pricing practices during negotiation of its GSA contracts and of providing improper payments
