Report of the Universal Social Security Coverage Study Group: executive summary

Authorized under the 1977 amendments to the Social Security Act, the Universal Social Security Coverage Study Group was established at the direction of Congress by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in 1978. Its 2-year mission was to examine the feasibility and desirability of mandating coverage under the social security program for Federal workers and for noncovered employees of State and local governments and private nonprofit organizations. The group reviewed the coverage held by workers who would be affected, developed options for and alternatives to mandatory coverage, analyzed the effects of each option and alternative, and consulted with other Government agencies and with members of the public. To assess public attitudes, testimony was received from private citizens, public officials, and representatives of interested organizations at public hearings held in seven locations. In the following executive summary, sections refer to chapters in the full report.