Social Security has been grossly distorted by including medical care for poor people of all ages...
Does SS do this? I thought that came out of Medicaid.
Does anybody know whether it would still be solvent if we adhered to the original beneficiary scheme?
Dunno. I have a sense that I've seen data that differentiate between the disability benefits and the pension benefits but I don't know where to find them.
(including drug addicts and alcoholics of all ages.)
As I was looking back through my clips trying to find an answer to your question, I came across this timeline. Note the bolded part.
washingtonpost.com
OVER THE YEARS
Sunday, January 23, 2005; Page B02
1934
June 8 In response to Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt announces intent to provide an economic security program
Aug. 14 Social Security Act is signed into law. It provides retirement benefits to workers only. Legislation establishes three-member, bipartisan Social Security Board to implement provisions
1936-37
More than 35 million Social Security cards are issued
1937
January Workers begin to acquire credits toward old-age insurance benefits; first applications for benefits filed
March First payment is made (initial payments were one-time-only, lump-sum refunds)
1939
July Social Security Administration becomes part of Federal Security Agency
August Program broadened to include dependents and pay survivors benefits
1940
January First monthly benefit payments begin 1946
July Social Security Administration replaces Social Security Board
1950
Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) mandated to offset effects of inflation on fixed incomes. Future increases require Congressional action
1953 SSA becomes part of Department of Health, Education and Welfare (which becomes the Department of Health and Human Services in 1980)
1954
September Disability insurance program enacted. First version pays no cash benefits but establishes a "freeze" to help prevent erosion of disabled workers' benefits
1956
August Disability program amended to provide benefits to permanently and totally disabled workers 50 to 65 and adult children, if disabled before age 18. (Today, disabled workers of any age qualify.)
1961
June Act amended to permit all workers to elect to receive reduced retirement benefits at 62
1965
July Medicare program established, offering health coverage to Social Security beneficiaries 65 and older
1972
July A 20 percent COLA authorized, effective in September. Provisions are made for automatic COLAs, based on annual increase in consumer prices, to begin in 1975
October The Supplemental Security Income program established to oversee benefits for needy aged, blind and disabled people (individual programs previously administered by state and local governments); begins operation in 1974
1977
March Health Care Financing Administration is created to administer Medicare and Medicaid
1980
June Greater work incentives set up for disabled beneficiaries
1981
August Some benefits reduced or eliminated: among them, student benefits phased out; lump-sum death payments limited.
1983
January National Commission on Social Security Reform sends Congress recommendations to resolve Social Security program's financial problems
April Amendments passed to augment Social Security financing. Provisions include taxing Social Security benefits, covering federal employees, raising retirement age beginning in 2000 and increasing reserves in Social Security trust funds
1986
June Social Security coverage established for federal employees hired after 1983
1995
March Social Security Administration becomes an independent agency
1996
Rules changed for disability benefits; new applicants no longer eligible if drug addiction or alcoholism is a material factor in disability
August Social Security eligibility ended for most noncitizens (modified in 1997), and eligibility rules for children are tightened
2000
April Retirement earnings test eliminated, allowing beneficiaries at or above normal retirement age who continue to work to collect full benefits instead of having them reduced based on earnings
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