It is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about. Here Dan Mitchell takes it on.
Everything You Need to Know about Entitlement Reform
November 28, 2011 by Dan Mitchell
Most people have a vague understanding that America has a huge long-run fiscal problem.
They’re right, though they probably don’t realize the seriousness of that looming crisis.
Here’s what you need to know: America’s fiscal crisis is actually a spending crisis, and that spending crisis is driven by entitlements.
More specifically, the vast majority of the problem is the result of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, programs that are poorly designed and unsustainable.
America needs to fix these programs…or eventually become another Greece.
Fortunately, all of the problems can be solved, as these three videos demonstrate.
The first video explains how to fix Medicaid.
Promote Federalism and Replicate the Success of Welfare Reform with Medicaid Block Grants
Uploaded by afq2007 on Jun 26, 2011
The Medicaid program imposes high costs while generating poor results. This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video explains how block grants, such as the one proposed by Congressman Paul Ryan, will save money and improve healthcare by giving states the freedom to innovate and compete.
The second video shows how to fix Medicare.
Saving Medicare: Free Market Reforms Are Better than Bureaucratic Rationing
Uploaded by afq2007 on May 17, 2011
This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video explains how a “premium-support” plan would solve Medicare’s fiscal crisis and improve the overall healthcare system. This voucher-based system also would protect seniors from bureaucratic rationing. http://www.freedomandprosperity.org
And the final video shows how to fix Social Security.
Saving Social Security with Personal Retirement Accounts
Uploaded by afq2007 on Jan 10, 2011
There are two crises facing Social Security. First the program has a gigantic unfunded liability, largely thanks to demographics. Second, the program is a very bad deal for younger workers, making them pay record amounts of tax in exchange for comparatively meager benefits. This video explains how personal accounts can solve both problems, and also notes that nations as varied as Australia, Chile, Sweden, and Hong Kong have implemented this pro-growth reform. www.freedomandprosperity.org
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Regular readers know I’m fairly gloomy about the future of liberty, but this is one area where there is a glimmer of hope.
The Chairman of the House Budget Committee actually put together a plan that addresses the two biggest problems (Medicare and Medicaid) and the House of Representatives actually adopted the proposal.
The Senate didn’t act, of course, and Obama would veto any good legislation anyhow, so I don’t want to be crazy optimistic. Depending on how things play out politically in the next six years, I’ll say there’s actually a 20 percent chance to save America.
The Daily Hatch 