Slashdot Mirror
Database Error Costs Social Security Victims $500M
Hugh Pickens writes "The Washington Posts reports that the Social Security Administration has agreed to pay more than $500 million in back benefits to more than 80,000 recipients whose benefits were unfairly denied after they were flagged by a federal computer program designed to catch serious criminals. At issue is a 1996 law, which contained language later nicknamed the 'fleeing felon' provision, that said fugitives were ineligible to receive federal benefits. As part of its enforcement, the administration began searching computer databases to weed out people who were collecting benefits and had outstanding warrants. The searches captured dozens of criminals, including some wanted for homicide, but they also ensnared countless elderly and disabled people accused of relatively minor offenses such as shoplifting or writing bad checks and in some cases, the victims simply shared a name and a birth date with an offender." (Read more, below.)
"The lead plaintiff in the class-action suit, Rosa Martinez, 52, of Redwood City, Calif., was cut off from her $870 monthly disability benefit check in January 2008 because the system had flagged an outstanding drug warrant in 1980 for a different Rosa Martinez from Miami. Officials said it is difficult to estimate how many social security recipients might be affected by the agreement but said the number is fewer than 1 percent nationally. 'What's remarkable about this case is thesheer number of individuals who were unfairly denied benefits and the size of the financial settlement they will receive,' said David H. Fry of Munger, Tolles & Olson, one of the pro bono attorneys who represented victims."
Am I hallucinating or did GeeDoubleYouBee use the exact same sql query to strike votes against him from the record during the farce that was the downfall of the legitimate president-elect ? Almost suuuure, I read something along these lines at some point....
Requiem for the American Dream
I need a cite of a re-used SSN number.
If this is a problem, they could just start allowing alpha. That would solve the problem, forever.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Uninformed twats blathering my slashdot? It's more likely then you think!
I mean, seriously, what? WHAT? How did you even come up with this argument? You do realize that non-governmental hospitals have basically ZERO regulations on 'whoopsie!' moments. There's nothing about mixing up names - if some underpaid and overworked RN drops the wrong chart in your slot as you're being wheeled around, you die. Or lose a leg, or two. If anything, some government mandate to actually track the number of preventable medical incidents would give incentive to FIX their problems.
But keep railing on big government, child. While eating regulated food, not dying of diseases we've wiped out, using the internet links subsidized by the government, going to work via government roads, and squatting in your basement cave furiously mashing your fingers on a computer developed with government grants powered by government subsidized and regulated power.
Obviously we'd fuck up healthcare too.
What's the difference between a private entity and a government one?
One of them you can fire, the other can fire on you.
Potato chips are a by-yourself food.