All Commentary
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Recession Puts Social Security and Medicare in Worse Shape


“Even as Congress hunted for ways to finance a major expansion of health insurance coverage, the Obama administration reported Tuesday that the financial condition of the two largest federal benefit programs, Medicare and Social Security, had deteriorated, in part because of the recession. As a result, the administration said, the Medicare fund that pays hospital bills for older Americans is expected to run out of money in 2017, two years sooner than projected last year. The Social Security trust fund will be exhausted in 2037, four years earlier than predicted, it said.” (New York Times, Wednesday)

And they were in rotten shape before the recession.

FEE Timely Classic
“Social Security Is in Good Shape? It Just Ain’t So!” by Michael D. Tanner


  • Sheldon Richman is the former editor of The Freeman and a contributor to The Concise Encyclopedia of Economics. He is the author of Separating School and State: How to Liberate America's Families and thousands of articles.