Why Are We Willing To Discuss Fixing Social Security & Medicare, But Not Medicaid?

In his November 15, 2012 New York Times editorial, Paul Krugman demonstrates again that neither party is addressing the changes that will be truly necessary to curb growing budget deficits.

The only solutions to Medicare and Medicaid’s skyrocketing budgets that I’ve seen recommended are lowering Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements, and increasing Medicare eligibility ages. These are merely band-aid solutions.

Neither party is willing to address the hard changes that will be necessary to remove Medicaid from its economically dire predicament. I address this in my blogs Medicaid in deep trouble, no matter who wins the election and Neither party has a solution for the oncoming deluge of Medicare/Medicaid services.

For one thing, Medicare and especially Medicaid are complicated programs that most legislators and the public do not understand well.  Furthermore, many of the most intelligent people I meet appear to suffer from resistance to discussing depressing sounding future events, such as planning for their elder years.  And, tragically, this lack of planning frequently has dire consequences. More specifically, we know conclusively that very few middle-class Americans have done responsible long-term care planning.

Mr. Krugman argues, and I agree, that raising eligibility requirements for collecting Social Security and qualifying for Medicaid is needlessly cruel and would be hardest on our most vulnerable citizens – those who work in physically demanding jobs for little pay.  And these changes would have little impact on the bottom line because those who depend the most on Social Security will not live as long as more affluent Americans since longer life spans are related to education and income levels.   Raising the Medicare eligibility age a couple of years will also save the federal government little because seniors in their mid-to-late 60’s generally have decent health and cost Medicare far less than the very old.

Readers will note that few pundits write about how to fix Medicaid, nor do legislators approach Medicaid reform. Medicaid is our most expensive and threatened entitlement program. It is Medicaid-paid long-term care that will cause the most catastrophic budget shortfalls as the Baby Boomers continue to age.