1.  Social Security announces "Compassionate Allowances Initiative" to rapidly process applications for people with cancers and rare diseases.

Michael Astrue, Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, announced the agency's Compassionate Allowances Initiative to expedite the processing of disability claims for applicants whose medical conditions are so severe that their conditions obviously meet Social Security's standards.

"Getting benefits quickly to people with the most severe medical conditions is both the right and the compassionate thing to do," Astrue said.  "This initiative will allow us to make decisions on these cases in a matter of days, rather than months or years."

Social Security is launching this expedited decision process with a total of 50 conditions.  Over time, more diseases and conditions will be added.  A list of the first 50 impairments -- 25 rare diseases and 25 cancers -- is online at www.socialsecurity.gov/compassionateallowances.

Compassionate Allowances is the second piece of the agency's fast track system for certain disability claims. 

When combined with the agency's Quick Disability Determination process, this system could result in six to nine percent of disability claims--the cases for as much as a quarter million people--being decided in an average of six to eight days.

Peter Saltonstall, President of the National Organization for Rare Disorders, said, "This is an outstanding achievement for the Social Security Administration.  Disability backlogs cause a hardship for patients and their families."

Daniel Smith, President of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said, "Many people with cancer may find themselves truly unable to perform their daily work-related activities and, as result, may face serious financial concerns, such as the loss of income and the cost of treatment.  The Social Security Administration's Compassionate Allowances program will help streamline the disability benefits application process so that benefits are quickly provided to those who need them most."

Astrue said it was not acceptable for people to wait years for a final decision on a disability claim.

"The launch of Compassionate Allowances is another step to ensuring Americans with disabilities, especially those with certain cancers and rare diseases, get the benefits they need quickly," he said.

2.  Former Senator Ernest Hollings blasts misuse of Social Security surpluses.  In an online article in the Huffington Post at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-ernest-frederick-hollings/acting-like-a-governor_b_137494.html, Hollings wrote:

"The President, Congress, and free press habitually low-ball the deficit by subtracting the trust fund surpluses, i.e. Social Security, Medicare, military retirement, civilian retirement, unemployment, highway, airport, railroad retirement, etc.

"For example, the surplus in Social Security in FY 2008 was $199 billion.But economists and politicians wanting to appear fiscally responsible use the trust funds to report a lower deficit. It's fiscally irresponsible; it's illegal. Section 13-301 of the Budget Act forbids the President and Congress from doing this, but they continue to violate the law."