Events and Services in Your Community

Mid-Atlantic Social Security Center Congressional Briefing

The Philadelphia Regional Communications Office (RCO) held a Congressional Briefing at the Mid-Atlantic Social Security Center (MATSSC) on Thursday, February 19, 2009. With the 111th Congress having just been seated, the RCO provided a Social Security Administration (SSA) orientation and briefing designed for newer Congressional staffers representing Members of Congress from Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia. Seasoned Congressional staffers were also invited to share their SSA experiences as well.

The staffers were welcomed by Philadelphia Regional Commissioner, Laurie Watkins, who provided a brief summary of SSA initiatives that have Congressional interest. They then were given an overview of SSA programs and benefits and received background information on how Congressional SSA case issues are handled at every level of the agency. The morning portion of the briefing ended with a lively Q&A session with the SSA executives and special guest Lt. Andrea Cunningham, the Congressional Liaison for the Regional Office of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), who took questions regarding Medicare.

The afternoon session began with a presentation on SSA’s website, Social Security Online, and the types of services that staffers could access for their Representative’s constituents. The next session provided an overview of the entire SSA Disability process from application, through determination and the appeals process. This portion of the briefing was followed by another Q&A session with representatives from SSA’s Office of Disability Adjudication and Review and Center for Disability Programs.

This Congressional Briefing was the first of two scheduled for 2009. The second briefing, tentatively scheduled for the fall of this year, will focus on more specific topics of concern to all Congressional Offices.

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