Letter: Peg Social Security rate to health care costs

Peg Social Security rate to health care costs

From: Mike Disney

Columbus

Just read Stephen Ohlemacher’s (The Associated Press) article “Social Security won’t increase next year” in The Republic on Oct. 12. There is no surprise here, given that the time is now. Of course the culprit is “low” gas prices. If it were not that, though, it would likely be blamed on something else.

However, the thought struck me as I read that article, as I expect it did at least one or two others reading the same article, that it might make more sense to let the guiding force that determines whether or not Social Security is increased during a given year be something other than gasoline prices. After all many Social Security recipients drive, but I expect a fair share do not. I imagine there are quite a few more Social Security recipients who endure regular increases of their medical costs and who have seen their health insurance costs skyrocketing recently, and they do have both of these items in their budget on a regular basis.

So here’s a radical idea. How about allowing medical costs and health insurance costs to be the major determining factor governing whether or not Social Security recipients get an increase? From what I can see and hear, if that were the case, I doubt that there would ever again be a year of no increase for Social Security recipients as long as Social Security exists. Of course, I know that you have nothing to do with any of this, but I thought you might find this interesting.