Heard on the radio yesterday that a glitch was causing certain retirees to get less than their normal checks for Nov. I thought it was to pay for their Medicare preimium but they said they would be short $132 when they normally get $700+ for a month. They said something about the health care financing administration being the cause. I've been away from the board for a few days. Does anyone have the details?

-- wondering (wondering@nottoo.far), November 02, 1999

Answers

Wondering...I posted a similar query over on the Hyatt site before it went all wormy. I heard the same radio report you did, about 9:30 Sat. morning on KFWB News Radio. You seem to have it right. The portion of the Soc. Sec. check that will be "missing" is the part that is contributed by the State of California to cover the Medicare premium. The only additional piece of information was that they weren't sure if it was just a November programming error in the equation, or if it would be ongoing, or if the missing $$ would be included in future checks, or... or... or.... Sounds to me a lot like a Y2K kinda thing. [Duh!] In my mom's case it means losing about 25% of her usual $795 monthly stipend. That is a large portion of one's sole income, when that is all you have for housing, food and medications. Have heard nothing further, and have seen nothing in print in the LA Times....yet. Wait til all those SS recipients find out. The fit will hit the shan when they all start calling their Congressional offices, I would imagine. And well it should.

-- Sage (Termagant@aol.com), November 02, 1999.

sage: "Wait til all those SS recipients find out. The fit will hit the shan when they all start calling their Congressional offices, I would imagine. And well it should."

This is certainly Y2K software related. If not directly, it has to do with last minute fixes or testing and production getting mixed up.

Even worse, the calls to congressmen could trigger a management hysteria, the last thing we need is a few dozen legislators and their staffs barking out orders and making threats.

Hopefully everyone will be able to help mom; if she needs it, the Y2K cash-stash will help her make expenses, rent and such; the cans of spam and the oatmeal will keep her fed. I'm not sure if the fine quality assault rifle and 1,000 rounds of armor piercing ammo are a solution to this problem.

The pollies have gotten quiet. They're in Polly-land holding hands and murmur-ing to themselves. "Hershey, Detroit, SoCal Medicare, if I close my eyes and wish real hard, the bad Y2K will go away."

Sorry Pollies, this is unfolding even worse that I expected.

A way to bake bread, extra blankets, an LED flashlight, some cash to help out mom, this is what the Pollies are raging against.

-- cory (kiyoinc@ibm.XOUT.net), November 02, 1999.

Computer glitch leaving thousands without full Social Security checks

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- State officials say a computer glitch will leave thousands of elderly and disabled Californians with reduced Social Security checks this week.

A systems error in California Department of Health Services computers mistakenly dropped 16,400 people from a state program that pays their Medicare premiums, said Ken August, a spokesman for the agency ...

Those receiving the [Nov 3] slimmed-down checks [equal to three months of Medicare premiums] are enrolled in a state program called In-Home Supportive Services, which provides house cleaning, shopping and care to low-income elderly and disabled Californians ...

See this thread: http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001geJ

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), November 02, 1999.

Seem to be seeing more things which make one pause. I suspect we will see more. Cheers, AGF

Tuesday, November 2, 1999; Page B03

A crisp autumn evening, the moon rising as if on cue over the river, and music washing over a broad lawn: Everything seemed to be in place and lovely at the latest fund-raiser for Charles County's only hospital. But beneath the light jazz, a quiet buzz played out among the invited crowd at Idyllic, an estate near Southern Maryland's Wicomico River. There was a disturbing piece of news to discuss, if only discreetly.

The Civista Medical Center, a hospital nestled in the community since local doctors founded it 60 years ago to bring health care to a poor and rural place, was suddenly deep in the hole.

The nonprofit Civista is run by a private board, although the hospital sits on county-owned land. On Oct. 18, members of that board laid out their troubles while asking county commissioners for the loan.

Prolonged computer glitches followed the installation of new software in April, and for at least four months, billing fell far short of its usual pace, executives said. In other words, statements for services rendered lagged, and payments were not being collected. The executives could not say for sure when the billing would catch up.

They also said they'd tapped out a $5 million, short-term line of credit that falls due in January, in part to build a clinic in the heavily populated Waldorf area near the county's northern border with Prince George's.

Commissioners said they need evidence that the billing is being resolved before they lend money.

Hospital executives say that the worst of the billing problem has passed and that patient volumes and revenue are strong. "We're already on the upswing," said President Christine M. Stefanides.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/feed/a8433-1999nov2.htm

-- Drac (Itisdifferentthistime@dowswansong.com), November 02, 1999.

Cory, you are right on. I fully expect to see an increase in this type of scenario. Remember, the press releases have mostly indicated that California was one of the better prepared. This is just the tip of the iceberg. BTW if this problem becomes widespread just think what the AARP will do with it!

-- wondering (wondering@nottoo.far), November 02, 1999.