Upcoming Event: McCrery-Pomeroy SSDI Solutions Conference

McCrery-Pomeroy SSDI Solutions Conference

Tuesday, August 4, 2015
8:45 am – 5:00 pm

Breakfast will be served at 8:00 am
Post-conference reception from 5:00 pm- 6:30 pm

District Architecture Center
421 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004

Next year the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) trust fund will deplete its reserves, prompting a discussion in Washington about how to improve the program. The McCrery-Pomeroy SSDI Solutions Initiative seeks to provide policymakers with a menu of innovative ideas to improve the SSDI program and other services for people with disabilities.

The SSDI Solutions Conference will feature presentations of numerous policy proposals selected by the McCrery-Pomeroy SSDI Solutions Initiative and will bring together experts, advocates, policymakers and interested stakeholders for an engaged dialogue about how SSDI and other programs can better serve those with disabilities, taxpayers and society as a whole.

Please RSVP here

District Architecture Center
421 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20004

Tuesday, August 4 2015

DRAFT Agenda – Please check back for additional speakers and other information

8:00 am - 8:45 am

Continental Breakfast and Registration

8:45 am - 9:15 am

Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:15 am - 10:30 am

Panel One: Structural Reforms

Discussant: Art Spencer, Former Associate Commissioner for Disability Programs, Social Security Administration

Papers discussed:
Christian, Hildred, Krent, and Mazerski – Transitional benefits for a small subset of SSDI beneficiaries with disabilities likely to experience medical improvement
Fichtner and Seligman – A system for partial disability benefits
Aaron, Aghabi, Butz, and Jacobson – Exploring alternative definitions of disability

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

Panel Two: Early Intervention and Work Support

Discussant: Lisa Ekman, Ekman Advocates for Progress, LLC

Papers discussed:
Ben-Shalom, Mann, and Stapleton – Integrated employment support and eligibility determination system
Burton, Christian, and Wickizer – Expanding community-focused work and health services
Kerksick, Riemer, and Williams – Using transitional jobs and tax incentives to encourage employment

12:00 pm - 1:20 pm

Lunch

1:30 pm - 2:45 pm

Panel Three: Determination and Adjudication Reform

Discussant: Margaret Malone, Former Staff Director, Social Security Advisory Board
Papers discussed:
Che, Collins, Constantin, Porcino, and Zhou – Reducing CDR backlogs
Dubin – Streamlining the determination process
Engel, Glendening, and Wolfe – Exploring changes to the SSDI adjudication process

3:00 pm - 4:15 pm

Panel Four: Interaction with other programs

Discussant: David Wittenburg, Associate Director of Health Research, Mathematica Policy Research

Papers discussed:
Babbel and Meyer – Encouraging enrollment in private disability insurance
Burton and Guo – Improving the interaction between SSDI and Workers’ Compensation programs
Perriello – Improving health coverage for workers with disabilities

4:15 pm - 5:00 pm

Closing Panel Discussion

Participants:
Jim McCrery
Earl Pomeroy
Mark Washawsky, Visiting Scholar, Mercatus Center of George Mason University
Alan Cohen, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Closing reception