Putting our house in order : a guide to social security and health care reform

Discusses the problems with social security and health care in the United States and proposes a fiscally sound reform plan.;Perspectives. A story of success: healthy people in a healthy economy -- The iceberg ahead -- Age and the labor force -- Social security. Income for retirement -- Principles for reforming Social Security -- Plans for reforming Social Security -- America's system of health care. The past is prologue -- How to improve health care -- First steps toward change -- Medicare, Medicaid, and health care reform -- Conclusions. A former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and an eminent economist tackle the biggest social issue of our time. Of all the issues swirling around the 2008 election, the staggering projected costs for the upkeep of America's largest entitlement programs—Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—loom with gathering intensity. Government revenues alone cannot solve the problem, but a solution must be found. In this book George P. Shultz and John B. Shoven take a practical—and optimistic—look at the issues at hand, offering an agenda for reform that will make these essential programs solvent. Drawing on a trove of original research, they take stock of the current situation, consider plans on offer from major thinkers in the field, and chart a course toward a system that provides income for the elderly and universal access to health care in ways that are fiscally sound. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to make an informed decision about the country's future.