News
National Journal | Medicare's Actuary Paints a Darker Picture Than Trustees
Spending on hospital and physician services would be more than three times higher than projected if Congress acts to reverse or phase out scheduled Medicare payment reductions, according to a new analysis that casts doubt on the rosier estimates offered by Medicare's trustees earlier this month.
Econ Comments
Washington Post | The GOP’s Medicare headache
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the architect of his party’s radical plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program, gave a lesson Sunday in stating the obvious: “I don’t consult polls to tell me what my principles are or what our policies should be.” I’d suggest that Republicans with less disdain for public opinion might want to check out the height of the cliff from which Ryan would have them leap.
Blogs
Heritage Foundation | Medicare’s Worsening Finances: The Other Shoe Drops
A week ago, the Medicare Trustees issued their annual report, which showed that the program is on the fact track to insolvency. The 2011 analysis projected that the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund (which funds Medicare Part A) will be insolvent in 2024, and the program’s long-term unfunded obligations—promised benefits that are not paid for—amount to $24.6 trillion.
Cato@Liberty | Once More Into the Obamacare Breach
Today we filed Cato’s sixth brief supporting the various legal challenges to Obamacare, this time in the D.C. Circuit. Like Tom Joad, wherever the fight has been, we’ve been there, and now it’s in our backyard.
