Solving Medicare’s Fiscal Crisis: An Analysis of Three Policy Options

Health care spending in the United States has increased rapidly over the past several decades. Medicare, the largest public health insurance program in the US, is a key component of these growing costs. While Medicare financing is expected to be stable over the next decade, the long-term solvency will be difficult to sustain absent congressional action. This paper analyzes three policy options for Congress to consider in addressing the problem of rapid cost growth in the Medicare program.