1994-96 Advisory Council Report

Report of the
1994-1996 Advisory Council
on Social Security
Volume I:
Findings and Recommendations

Washington, DC

NOTE: Volume II includes the full reports of the two Technical Panels and presentations given to the Advisory Council. The complete text of Volume II is not available on this Web site. However, The Technical Panel Reports were previously released and are still available. Summaries of the Technical Panel reports are included in Volume I.

Letter of Transmittal

The Honorable Shirley S. Chater
Commissioner of Social Security
Baltimore, Maryland 21235

January 1997

Dear Commissioner Chater:

As required by Section 706 of the Social Security Act, the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security submits herewith its report for transmittal to the Congress and the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, and the Federal Supplementary Medicare Insurance Trust Fund. The report includes the Council's findings and recommendations with respect to the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) program.

In our Charter, the Council was asked to consider the following:

• General Social Security program issues, such as the relative equity and adequacy provided for persons at various income levels, in various family situations, and various age cohorts, taking into account such factors as the increased labor force participation of women, lower marriage rates, increased likelihood of divorce, and higher poverty rates of aged women.

The Charter also indicated that the Council might wish to analyze the relative roles of the public and private sectors in the provision of retirement income, particularly how underlying policies of various public and private programs, including relevant tax laws, affect retirement decisions and the economic status of the elderly.

We have responded to the directions and suggestions in ways that we believe will be helpful and useful to the Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Congress. We also have transmitted the report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Sincerely,

Edward M. Gramlich
Chair
1994-1996 Advisory Council on
Social Security

Enclosure

January 1997

Dear Secretary Shalala:

As required by Section 706 of the Social Security Act, the 1994-1996 Advisory Council on Social Security submits herewith its report for transmittal to the Congress and the Boards of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund, the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, and the Federal Supplementary Medicare Insurance Trust Fund. The report includes the Council's findings and recommendations with respect to the old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (OASDI) program.

In our Charter, the Council was asked to consider the following:

The Charter also indicated that the Council might wish to analyze the relative roles of the public and private sectors in the provision of retirement income, particularly how underlying policies of various public and private programs, including relevant tax laws, affect retirement decisions and the economic status of the elderly.

We have responded to the directions and suggestions in ways that we believe will be helpful and useful to the Administration, the Social Security Administration, and the Congress. We have also transmitted the report to the Commissioner of Social Security.

Sincerely,

Edward M. Gramlich
Chair
1994-1996 Advisory Council on
Social Security
Enclosure

Volume I
Table of Contents