Prior to that, Congress had to authorize increases to keep up with inflation, which meant that sometimes several years would pass before seniors received a benefit increase.Experts believe the Social Security Administration will announce the cost-of-living adjustment on October 13.Some advocates say that it is falling behind, partly because the formula used by the Social Security Administration relies on an inflation measure called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers, or CPI-W.That's important because Medicare's Part B plan, which covers routine doctor visits and other outpatient care, boosted its premiums in 2022 by 14.5%, an increase that ate up much of the cost-of-living adjustment seniors received in their Social Security checks.About 85% to 90% of Americans on the government health insurance program pay the standard rate, with the premium deducted directly from their Social Security checks."