1.  Raid of the Social Security Trust Fund increases to more than $2.435 trillion.

At the end of January 2009, the federal government owed the Trust Fund (old age and disability) $2.435,635 trillion.

No one has any idea how that money can be paid back, starting in 2017 when the amount raised in payroll taxes will no longer be enough to pay full benefits.  At that time, the amount owed the Trust Fund is projected to be between $3.935 trillion and $4.971 trillion (in current dollars).

In Fiscal Year 2009 alone, an additional $158 billion will be borrowed from Social Security and spent on other federal programs.  In turn, the Trust Fund receives special-issue, non-negotiable IOUs, which are stored in a filing cabinet in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

In an attempt to stop this misuse of Social Security surpluses, Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) and 10 cosponsors have introduced HR 219, the Social Security Preservation Act, to require the Trust Fund to contain actual assets. 

The bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

The cosponsors of HR 219 include Republican Congressmen John Duncan (TN), Trent Franks (AZ), Jim Gerlach (PA), Walter Jones (NC), Steven LaTourette (OH), Jerry Moran (KS), Thomas Petri (WI), Ted Poe (TX), Peter Roskam (IL), and Pete Sessions (TX).

2.  Social Security's online services win top three government awards in national survey.

The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), administered by the University of Michigan, has given the Social Security Administration's (SSA) online services the highest overall score of any government agency.  ACSI also said three of SSA's applications finished first, second, and third among all government online activities.

The ACSI shows that public satisfaction with government websites is at its highest recorded level, with SSA's websites a major factor in that rating. 

Among the Social Security online programs that received high scores were:

• The Retirement Estimator at www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator
• Application for Social Security Benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/applyonline
• Medicare Prescription Drugs Extra Help Application at https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/i1020/main.html

Information about the criteria used in the awards is available at http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/bestpractices.php.

3.  Medicare announces coverage for bariatric surgery as a diabetes treatment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a clarification in its policy for Medicare coverage of bariatric surgery as a treatment for certain beneficiaries with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

The decision specifies type 2 diabetes as one of the co-morbidities CMS would consider in determining whether bariatric surgery would be covered for a Medicare beneficiary who is morbidly obese. An individual with a body-mass index (BMI) of at least 35 is considered morbidly obese.  Normal body-mass index is considered to be between 18.5 and 25. 

"Medicare beneficiaries who are morbidly obese may face tremendous health complications," said Charlene Frizzera, Acting Administrator of CMS.  "Today's coverage decision assures that beneficiaries who are morbidly obese can access safe, effective weight loss options to help prevent these complications."