Railroad Retirement Board Can't Say No to Disability Applicants

The NY Times follows up its look at how over 90% of Long Island Rail Road employees apply for—and get—disability payments with an examination of the federal Railroad Retirement Board that approves disability. Apparently LIRR president Helena Williams wanted to attend a meeting (after learning about the LIRR employees' alleged abuse of the system), but "The board, with about $34 billion in assets, had not met formally in nearly two years, and no new meeting was scheduled. The three board members, all full-time presidential appointees, rarely met even in private, employees of the agency say." Last year, the board approved 98% of applications. and the NY Times reports the doctor who is meant to monitor the disability grants never ordered capacity evaluations to see if the applicants are truly disabled: "And of the 120 cases she reviewed last year, how many disability decisions did she disagree with? According to board officials: zero."