Source check. Each figure is traced to a primary government document. The document URL and the exact quoted text are recorded in our data files.
Second-source check. Where a second official source exists (for example, an SSA fact sheet and the SSA actuarial page), the two are compared. Disagreements are noted in the article.
Automated check. A script confirms that the article's frontmatter is complete, that every dollar or percentage figure appears near a source link or in our verified data files, that the headline contains no banned clickbait words, and that hedging language is kept to a minimum.
Editor review. A named editor reads the full article.
Specialist review. Medicare articles are also reviewed by REVIEWER_NAME, Licensed Medicare Agent, who checks rules, costs and enrollment dates.
After publication
We monitor agency newsrooms and the Federal Register for new releases that affect published figures.
When a figure changes, we update the page, change the "Updated" date, and add a note to the corrections log.
Readers can report errors through the contact page. We aim to respond within five business days.
What we will not publish
Payment amounts, "bonus checks" or dates that have not been announced by the agency.
Figures copied from another website without checking the original document.