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Under current law the Social Security COLA is calculated based on the spending patterns of younger working adults using the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. But older consumers spend a bigger portion of their household budgets on healthcare and housing, two categories that have been increasing more rapidly in recent years. "Medicare Part B premiums are the fastest growing cost most retirees will ever have," notes Johnson. "But those costs are not even surveyed under the CPI-W or reflected in today's COLA," she says..It was always expected that few if any Republicans in the House of Representatives would support legislation to lower drug prices. But it turns out that a group of moderate Democrats has now said they do not support the sweeping legislation that Democratic leaders in the House have proposed..The poll raises questions about both the adequacy of Social Security benefits, and proposals that would make seniors pay an even bigger share of their healthcare costs in the future. According to the Social Security Administration, the median income for retirees aged 65 and older is just ,056.[1] In 2010, the most recent year for which data is available, Medicare beneficiaries spent ,734 on out-of-pocket costs on average, including premiums for Medicare and other supplemental insurance or health plans.[2].Effective since 1977, the GPO prohibits retired spouses, widows, and widowers from receiving the full benefits based on his or her spouse's employment. The WEP was passed in 1983 and reduces the benefit of a retired or disabled worker who also receives a federal, state or local government annuity based on his or her earnings by up to 60 percent..On Wednesday, Marilyn Tavenner, acting Administrator of CMS since 2011, was confirmed by the Senate with an overwhelming vote of ninety-one to seven. She is the first CMS Administrator to be confirmed by the legislative body in over nine years, but her confirmation did not come easily. Earlier this year, two Senators placed holds on her confirmation, delaying the process significantly..Not only has our government changed the way inflation is measured, and thus reduced Social Security benefits, they accomplished this without a single vote by our elected lawmakers. Congress has ducked their responsibility by leaving the job of tinkering with the math to unelected economists, leaving voters with no opportunity to hold anyone accountable..What you propose is an interesting concept. It would be possible to design such cost of living adjustment option in several different ways. For example, the COLA could be calculated based on the national average retiree benefit in the current year. This amount could be adjusted using the current method the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or the use of a seniors' consumer price index such as the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly. The law could even add a provision that the COLA would never be lower than a certain amount - such as 3%..Aside from Wednesday's hearing, there has been very little discussion on Capitol Hill about fixing the DI program. Reallocation is likely, but TSCL supports methods that would prioritize a reduction in fraud, waste, and abuse, since the program struggles with improper payments. Action will be needed within the next two years, and TSCL will keep a close eye on developments since they are expected to impact the OASI program. For updates, visit the Legislative News section of our website..TSCL is delivering a letter of protest to Congressional leaders outlining the tax provisions that older Americans support for strengthening Social Security. What do you think of this proposal? Take a poll at.