KFF Health News and Cox Media Group television stations today announced their joint coverage of “Overpayment Abuse,” a series that exposes how the Social Security Administration routinely reduced or stopped monthly payment checks. We have announced that we have won the inaugural 2024 Goldsmiths Award for Government Reporting. A slush fund to repay huge debts, often caused by their own miscalculations against the interests of the people.
Research shows that more than 2 million people are hit with overpayments each year, including those least able to repay their debts, including the poor, elderly, disabled, visually impaired, and those suffering from chronic illness. It was revealed that it also included
The report triggered Congressional hearings, a “top-down” review of Social Security officials, and increased Senate oversight. Commissioner Martin O'Malley also recently announced sweeping policy changes to stop what he called “atrocities” and “gross injustices”.
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School presented new awards to KFF Health News and Cox Media Group at yesterday's Goldsmith Awards Ceremony. The award recognizes reporting on how and why government and public policy implementation work. We'll explain what can go wrong and how to resolve the problem most effectively and efficiently.
“This series shows how these mistakes have a significant impact on millions of people, including those with little or no ability to repay the government, forcing some to lose their homes, cars and savings. ,” said Drew Altman, KFF President and CEO. He is the founder of KFF Health News. “This is why KFF covers systemic issues like this across our news service, to show how people are affected by policy.”
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award because it reflects CMG's commitment to local news and investigative reporting,” said Marian Pittman, president of content at CMG. . “The team's relentless efforts to uncover the truth behind complex government policies and their implementation have led to tangible change within SSA and directly to the millions of people affected by overpayments. It will bring benefits.”
This series was reported by David Hilzenrath and Fred Clasen-Kelly of KFF Health News and Jodie Fleischer of Cox Media Group. A list of additional contributors is available here.
Details of “Overpayment Riot”
Each year, the Social Security Administration (SSA) issues billions of dollars in overpayments to beneficiaries whose income and other eligibility criteria have changed. Under federal law, SSA must treat this money as a debt to the federal government and demand repayment. Such recoveries can occur even decades after the initial overpayment.
In “The Fury of Overpayments,” Cox Media Group and KFF Health News investigated the impact of overpayments and clawbacks on vulnerable populations. They found that overpayments were caused by complex and difficult-to-follow rules, inadequate SSA staffing, outdated asset limits, and delayed or inaccurate data on income and other beneficiary information. . The report also offers potential solutions to address the legislative, funding, and process failures that cause this systemic problem.
About reporting partnerships
KFF Health News and Cox Media Group television stations used FOIA requests, Inspector General and SSA reports, and interviews with agency employees, disability advocates, and dozens of beneficiaries to report , I put together a story. The system revealed that the SSA routinely reduces or stops monthly benefit checks to recoup billions of dollars in payments that it allegedly sent to beneficiaries and then never received. That was proof of the problem.
After the series was published, hundreds of disability recipients came forward to testify about the issue. These include the government sending them unexplained overpayment notices and threatening to cut off their main source of income with little warning. Authorities have since restored benefits to several beneficiaries mentioned in the report.
About KFF and KFF Health News
KFF is a nonprofit health policy research, polling, and news organization. Our mission is to serve as a nonpartisan source of information for policymakers, the media, the health policy community, and the public. KFF Health News is a national newsroom producing award-winning, in-depth journalism on health issues and is one of KFF's core operating programs. KFF Health News has been repeatedly recognized for its journalism, including awards honoring investigative reporting on America's health care system.
Other major KFF programs include policy analysis; KFF polls and research. KFF Social Impact Media conducts professional public health information campaigns. A new program on health misinformation and trust will be launched soon.
