Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Heed Warning Signs About Dire Implications For Medicare
According to the Social Security Administration, the Medicare trust fund will run dry in 2026 and Social Security funds in 2034. They will still be supported by payroll taxes, but those taxes will not cover full benefits, and recipients will likely experience severe benefit cuts if the funds aren鈥檛 replenished. The implications are dire. (6/14)
About 600,000 Iowans are enrolled in Medicare health insurance.聽Almost one in five of us receives monthly Social Security benefits, the only source of income for many seniors.聽These Iowans should contact their members of Congress and ask them聽exactly what they are doing to shore up these聽safety net programs.聽Because聽the latest annual report from the Social Security and Medicare trustees is bleak.聽Social Security鈥檚 trust funds (one for retirement and one for disability) are shrinking, with tax revenues and interest no longer covering the annual cost of benefits. The trustees estimate depletion聽by 2034.聽(6/13)