A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT

A NOTE

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Greetings NADR ColleaguesNADR leadership and Legislative committee have had a very busy summer and fall. The number one priority has been continued discussions with SSA in regards to raising the fee cap. We’ve met virtually with SSA senior personnel on several occasions to say that it is imperative that the fee cap be raised so representatives are fairly compensated for their work in obtaining claimant’s benefits. Without an increase we fear many representatives will not be able to a ord to stay in business. Every year claimants receive a cost-of-living increase while representatives have not received an increase in the fee cap since June 2009. We have asked the Acting Commissioner to raise the cap to the maximum allowed by current statute and to annualy adjust the cap going forward based on the Average Wage Index. Along with the direct e orts we have made in talks with SSA’s leadership, NADR has also worked with and endorsed Senator John Larson’s recently introduced Social Security 2100 Bill. The bill is of extreme importance to the future of the Social Security Program, beneficiaries and the representative community. Included in the bill are 2 important provisions: 1. Eliminating the 5-month waiting period for disability benefits and 2. Automatically increasing the Fee Cap every year. In other continuing discussions with SSA, we have expressed our concerns in regards to representative fee payment problems, access to the full electronic folder at all levels, the reopening of field o ces, return to in-person hearings, the transition to a more centralized scheduling system and many other issues. I assure you, in keeping with NADR’s mission, we are doing what we can to maintain and improve the ability of our members to e ectively and successfully represent claimants. Michael Wener, ADR NADR President