Medicare: Is 67 the new 65?

Looking for ways to slow the growth of entitlement programs, budget negotiators in Washington are considering making seniors wait two years longer to qualify for Medicare — from age 65 to 67. Many Republicans have endorsed the idea, noting that Medicare beneficiaries now live far longer on average than they did when Congress created the program in 1965. The problem with the proposal is that it wouldn't save the federal government much money overall, even though it might cut Medicare's costs. Worse, it would probably cause total spending on healthcare to go up faster, which is the opposite of what Washington should be trying to achieve.

December 14, 2012