Social Security overpayment clawbacks spur award-winning investigation – and outrage

In this special edition of We Mean Business, Ananya Bhargava interviews Jodie Fleischer, the managing editor of investigative content and collaboration for Cox Media Group. She is a member of the 2024 Barlett and Steele Gold Award-winning team in the Regional/Local Category. Their investigative series, “Overpayment Outrage,” is a collaboration of eight local TV news stations across seven states. With the assistance of KFF Health News, the team helped uncover the immense toll Social Security repayment demands have on some of the nation’s most vulnerable families. Fleischer discusses the behind-the-scenes of this investigation, including how it began and what it took to make the collaboration happen.

 

Visit KFF Health News to read their written investigative work or businessjournalism.org/awards to view all the 2024 winners.