Growth in overall life expectancy is straining the Social Security budget, and the gap in life expectancy between the rich and poor is widening. Motivated by these facts, this paper does four things. First, we develop a simple way to summarize the degree of progressivity in a Social Security system. Second, we show that growth in the life expectancy gap over the last few decades unwinds three‐quarters of the progressivity of the Social Security system. Third, we develop simple reforms to Social Security that maintain the progressivity of the system and restore fiscal solvency. Fourth, we estimate the welfare effects of these potential reforms.

中文翻译：

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社会保障与长寿差距的扩大

总体预期寿命的增长使社会保障预算紧张，并且贫富之间的预期寿命差距正在扩大。基于这些事实，本文做了四件事。首先，我们开发一种简单的方法来总结社会保障系统中的累进程度。其次，我们表明，过去几十年中预期寿命差距的增长消除了社会保障体系进步能力的四分之三。第三，我们对社会保障进行简单的改革，以保持系统的先进性并恢复财政偿付能力。第四，我们估计这些潜在改革的福利影响。