The current method of calculating Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) uses the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, which inadequately reflects the spending patterns of seniors, especially regarding healthcare costs that disproportionately affect them. As senior expenses increasingly diverge from the items included in the CPI-W, their purchasing power erodes, failing to account for realities they face, such as rising healthcare expenses that sharply impact their budgets.
While Social Security COLAs have been intended to protect older Americans from inflation, the actual implementation does not achieve this goal effectively. The CPI-W, used to determine these adjustments, neglects many essential expenditures for seniors, meaning that their benefits may not rise in line with the increasing costs of living they experience, particularly in terms of healthcare and other critical services. This flaw underscores the need for a more reflective approach to benefit adjustments.
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