Monday February 14, 2000

Cathy Noe

For Immediate Release

410-965-8904 FAX 410-966-9973

Get the latest Social Security news at the click of the mouse. Beginning March 1, 2000, the Social Security Administration (SSA) will send Social Security news as it happens to individuals and organizations across America who request it. SSA's new service, Social Security e-news, is an electronic newsletter available free to subscribers through the Agency's Internet site Social Security Online. Subscribers can sign-up for Social Security e-news, by providing only their e-mail address, beginning February 15.

"Social Security e-news will provide the latest Social Security information to subscribers the minute it is made public," said William Halter, Deputy Commissioner of Social Security. "We hope that beneficiaries, workers, employers and professionals who handle Social Security issues will all find Social Security e-news very useful and timely."

Subscribers to Social Security e-news will have several options available to them. Just by subscribing they will receive a monthly newsletter containing general Social Security news. The stories will relate to current program developments and related events and be geared to the information needs of both current workers and beneficiaries.

In addition to the monthly general newsletter, subscribers can also elect to receive timely news updates on specific topics. Subscribers will be able to select specialized news in the areas of:

Disability	Law and Regulations
Retirement	Press Office
Survivors	Wage Reporting
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Issues	Data, Studies and Research
Medicare

Each brief story contained in Social Security e-news will be hyperlinked to the location on SSA's website where more information on the subject is available. Social Security e-news will provide subscribers with quick access to the vast volume of information generated on Social Security Online without the need to surf the 'net.' It will put information at their fingertips and help create a fuller awareness of the Social Security information available on SSA's Internet site.

"This free voluntary electronic newsletter is the latest in a series of Social Security initiatives to increase the public's understanding of the Social Security program and its benefits to them," Deputy Commissioner Halter said.

Interested groups, organizations or individuals will be able to subscribe to Social Security e-news through the link on SSA's website Social Security Online at www.ssa.gov or they can go directly to the e-news subscription form at www.ssa.gov/enews. Subscribers will also be able to forward e-news to others that may be interested. Recipients will then have the ability to quickly subscribe to the service with a click of a mouse.