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John W. GARDNER, Secretary

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Robert M. Ball, Commissioner
Office OF RESEARCH AND STATISTICS
Ida C. MERRIAM, Assistant Commissioner
Advisory Committee on Research Development

MargareT GORDON, Chairman

E. Cary Brown, Jacob Feldman

George H. HildeBRAND, Nathan Keyfitz JAMES MORGAN, Eugene SMOLENSKY, FREDERICK F. STEPHAN

PROGRAM OPERATIONS

OASDI Benefits

At the end of July 1967, monthly benefits under the old-age, survivors, disability and health insurance program (OASDHI) were payable to approximately 23.3 million persons at the monthly rate of $1.7 billion. The rise of nearly 88,000 in the total number of beneficiaries reflected primarily the growth in the number of retired worker beneficiaries. Persons drawing child benefits for July were 19,000 fewer-mostly because of a drop in the number of student beneficiaries.

About 283,000 monthly benefit awards were made in July, the smallest number since January. The gradual downward trend in the number of monthly benefit awards of the last few months continued for most beneficiary categories.

Monthly benefit payments, which also include retroactive benefits, dipped to $1,790 million in July. Payments to retired workers and their dependents were $11.9 million lower than they had been in June, and lump-sum death payments decreased $2.8 million. However, payments to disabled workers and dependents were almost $2 million higher.

million from the supplementary medical insurance trust fund by fiscal intermediaries to pay for benefits provided under the health insurance program for the aged.

In July more than 460,000 hospital admission notices and about 21,000 "start of care" notices for home health services were received by the Social Security Administration for aged individuals covered under the health insurance program. Since the start of extended-care benefits in January 1967, over 235,000 extended-care admission notices have been received, and 35,600 of these notices were received in July.

As of August 4, 1967, the Social Security Administration records indicated that 5.1 million hospital insurance claims, amounting to more than $2.2 million in payments to providers of care, had been approved for payment by intermediaries through the end of June. The number

HI Benefits

$1,685

$1,676

$1,589

On July 1, 1967, the health insurance program for the aged under the Social Security Act began its second year of operation. During the program's first year, the Social Security Administration received almost 5.0 million hospital admission notices and about 228,000 "start of care" notices for home health services. For the same period, $2,507.8 million had been drawn from the hospital insurance trust fund and $662.7

Average benefit in current-payment status:

Retired workers.
Disabled workers..
Aged widows and widowers.

Children of deceased workers.
Average benefit awarded:

Retired workers.
Disabled workers...
Aged widows and widowers.
Children of deceased workers.

"Incurrent-payment status; excludes lump-sum and retroactive payments and adjustments.

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