Maya MacGuineas: The grim future for Medicare and Social Security

Maya MacGuineas is president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget and head of the Campaign to Fix the Debt. She recently wrote an opinion piece for The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, an excerpt of which is below.

What do you call a financial calamity that will begin in less than a decade, threatens tens of millions of America’s seniors, and is, by and large, entirely avoidable? In almost every situation we’d call this a critical national priority, and one that would require political leadership, courage, and both parties coming together on a solution. 

But for Social Security and Medicare, the future of these programs has become less a national priority and more a political football.

America cannot guarantee full retirement benefits to today’s retirees, the time to save these programs is running out. The programs cost far more than the revenue that funds them.

Read the entire piece here.

Published works by members or staff of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget do not necessarily reflect the views of all members or staff of the Committee.