From the monthly archives:

January 2004

Barrett v. Barnhart, 355 F.3d 1065 (7th Cir. 2004)

January 22, 2004

Decision from Judge Posner which points out the need to cross-ex VEs regarding the basis for numbers in response to hypothetical questions. Also notes the need for connecting the evidence to a finding that the claimant is not disabled:
A vocational expert can testify to the number of light jobs in Wisconsin, since “light” work [...]

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NCSA to Study Ticket to Work Program

January 21, 2004

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has been awarded a little more than $930,000 to conduct a one-year study of the Ticket to Work program. Thomas Prudhomme, director of NCSA’s Cybercommunities division, and Michael Welge, head of NCSA’s Automated Learning Group
. . . will use the D2K (Data to Knowledge) data mining software [...]

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SSA Agency Directories Information Updated on SSAS.com

January 20, 2004

Via Connect:   Peter Young has updated the agency directories page of his website:
Our collection of agency directories has just been updated. . . . As the agency continues to shift to Intranet web applications, the info in these directories will be less frequently updated, and many of them may totally [...]

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Artificial Discs Hold Promise for People with DDD

January 16, 2004

Via Reuters:  This article discusses a “new” technology that’s been used in Europe for 10 years–implantation of manmade discs in people with back pain caused by degenerative disc disease:
After decades of research into alternatives to spinal fusion as a treatment for chronic back pain, U.S. surgeons are testing manmade discs that relieve the aches [...]

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Institute of Medicine Calls for Universal Health Insurance Coverage by 2010

January 15, 2004

Via Reuters:   A new report from the Institute of Medicine calls on Congress and the President to develop a comprehensive strategy for universal health insurance coverage by 2010. Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, co-chair of the Institute’s committee on uninsurance and president of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, says “There is no [...]

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Neat Google Numbers Searches

January 14, 2004

Tom Mighell over at Inter Alia reports that Google has added more snazzy number searches:
– Area code — enter an area code (214) and the first link is a map of the area.
– VIN — just enter a Vehicle Identification Number, and you’ll get a link to CarFax vehicle history reports.
– Flight Tracking — [...]

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Joint Replacement Surgery Increasingly Popular

January 14, 2004

Via ABCNEWS:  Good article on joint replacement surgery. Dr. Joseph D. Zuckerman, professor and chairman of the department of orthopedic surgery at the New York University-Hospital for Joint Diseases, discusses how these surgeries are performed and what factors contribute to their success:
Hip and knee replacements are the most common surgeries. About 300,000 total knee [...]

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SSA EMs Now Available Online

January 14, 2004

Via Edward Johnson on the Connect board:   All Emergency Messages (EMs) not classified as “sensitive” are now available at SSA’s website. Even the fabled DAA Teletype (including Question 29) is there. As my teenage daughter sometimes says, this rocketh greatly.

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Butler v. Barnhart, 353 F.3d 992 (D.C. Cir. 2004)

January 13, 2004

A lengthy opinion authored by Circuit Judge Karen LeCraft Henderson which focuses on the ALJ’s duty to explain his reasons for his conclusions:
In sum, we cannot discern from the record the ALJ’s basis for rejecting Lightfoote’s opinions regarding these limitations nor from his mere references to the other physicians’ reports. The ALJ’s reasoning is not [...]

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Problems with the Medicare Drug Law

January 13, 2004

Via the New York Times:  This article asks two questions about the new Medicare law:   First, what impact will the new Medicare law have on drug company programs that offer free drugs to low-income people, including those on Medicare? The answer–No one knows:
Nancy Pekarek, a spokeswoman for GlaxoSmithKline, said her company [...]

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