Local Medicare specialist testifies in Washington, D.C.

    PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Tammy DeLong, Medicare specialist for the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging, testified in Washington, D.C. last Wednesday at the Senate Special Committee on Aging’s hearing to examine the effect on seniors of the Social Security Administration’s efforts to reduce face-to-face services, including the closure of field offices or the reduction in their hours of service.
DeLong was invited to testify by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), who is the committee’s ranking member.
“It was around June 5 when I found out [I would be testifying],” said DeLong. “My first thought was ‘They can’t be serious,’ but I soon realized they were.
“I had to prepare a statement as to why I felt that reducing face-to-face services would be detrimental to Aroostook County,” she said. “I did some research on the county and some statistics of the area, and most of the rest of it was my opinion and experiences. I also did some research on the committee, who were the senators other than Susan Collins that were on the committee, and I watched other testimonies to get the feel as to what I might be doing.”
Despite an increased caseload resulting from the retirement of the Baby Boomers and the expansion of the Social Security Disability Insurance Program (SSDI), in the past five years, the Social Security Administration (SSA) has closed 64 of approximately 1,245 field offices — the largest field office reduction in history — and the SSA has idled 533 temporary mobile offices and significantly reduced field office hours, according to findings of an investigation by the Senate Special Committee on Aging.
DeLong explained how crucial the SSA field offices are to helping seniors resolve problems, many of which can be complex, at SSA offices and through personal contact with an SSA employee.
“I feel that closing the field offices would be detrimental to seniors and disabled people for many reasons. We have a very unique area that this office serves, with the distance people have to travel and what hardships there would be if people had to travel to Bangor for a local office,” she said. “Often, people can’t get Internet access, they can’t afford it and if they do get it, trying to navigate some of the sites are confusing. Also, we have the Canadian border very close and people sometimes get benefits from both sides of the border so there is some coordination that has to be done.
“There is a large French-speaking population who speaks a regional French dialect and a local translator understands much better than someone on an 800 number would. Hearing loss is an issue making phone conversations very difficult,” said DeLong. “Bottom line, people like to walk in to an office and talk to someone to make sure they understand what benefits they are eligible for.”
DeLong said she was nervous testifying before the committee.
“It really didn’t hit me until I actually walked into the room that I was testifying in,” she said. “When you see the lights and the cameras and sit down in front of that microphone, it really hits home that you are doing something important.
“I understand that everyone is under budget cuts and Social Security is no different,” said DeLong. “I hope that after hearing the testimonies of myself and Brenda Holt, Gadsden County, Florida commissioner, that they can come up with a better solution that doesn’t result in closing any more offices.”
Sens. Collins and Bill Nelson (D-Florida), who chairs the committee, were critical of the process the SSA has used to determine which offices to close or to reduce hours. The process has not been transparent and has not taken into account the input of affected communities or senior managers of the local offices.
“The Social Security Administration has been pushing for years to reduce the face-to-face services it provides through its field offices and to force beneficiaries to interact with the agency online or over the phone,” said Collins. “While I don’t object to providing services this way where it’s appropriate, I am concerned that the SSA has not sought public input, and it is not taking into account the impact on the beneficiaries they are supposed to be serving.”
Collins said she was particularly troubled to learn of a draft strategic plan prepared for the SSA by the National Academy of Public Administration, which will not be published until this fall, and proposes that the SSA shift from face-to-face services as the primary means of serving beneficiaries over the next 11 years.
While no Maine SSA offices are slated for closure in 2014, Collins said she remains concerned about the SSA’s strong emphasis on reducing face-to-face services and the effects these closures could have on Maine seniors.
Though nervous testifying in the nation’s capitol, DeLong said it meant a lot to her to be able to advocate for the state’s elderly.
“It was an honor and privilege to be able to have a voice for all the beneficiaries I assist,” she said. “I hoped that they listened and that I made a small difference.”