False alarm: why the greatest threat to Social Security and Medicare is the campaign to "save" them

Abstract

Introduction - Saving What, from What? Part I The Stakes: What Social Security and Medicare Do Why Americans Trust Social Insurance and Distrust Entitlements Social Security Medicare's Structure, Benefits, and Financing. Part II Challenges That Are Not Crises: Why All the Fuss? The Story behind the Savings Crusade Can Americans Afford to Grow Old and Grow Sick? Exploiting Our Grandchildren? Part III Reforms That Would Not Be Improvements: Privatizing Security? Medicare Vouchers - Not Ready for Prime Time Too Young or Too Rich for Social Insurance? Part IV Responsible Reform: Moderate, Though Hardly Modest, Reforms Real Responsibility.