==A more expensive program requires more tax revenue to administer, revenue that could be used on anything else.== More complexity is what makes programs more

==A more expensive program requires more tax revenue to administer, revenue that could be used on anything else.== More complexity is what makes programs more expensive to administer, not size. You are suggesting adding significant complexity (actual insurance) to what is currently a relatively simple program. There are lots of things that make it more complex. For example, actual insurance requires you to continue paying in each year to get a benefit. Currently, I can take a year off from working and it has minimal impact on my SSI benefits (as SSI just takes and average index of your 35 highest earning years).