If no congressional action is taken, Social Security trust funds will become insolvent by 2033, a year sooner than expected. Lawmakers must aact to preserve the health insurance program, which will be exhausted by 2031.
This is according to the Social Security Board of Trustees’ most recent report.
The aging population, massive immigration, and reduced birth rates have made the pyramid program unsustainable.
The Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, which pays for inpatient care and hospital services for Medicare trustees, will be able to pay 100% of total scheduled benefits for eight more years, three years longer than was reported last year.
“Lawmakers have many options for changes that would reduce or eliminate the long-term financing shortfalls,” the board wrote. “We urge Congress to consider such options for both Medicare and Social Security, like the proposal for Medicare in the President’s FY24 Budget. With each year that lawmakers do not act, the public has less time to prepare for the changes.”
By 2031, the program can only pay for 89% of total benefits. It’s quicly downhill from there.
The combined reserves of Social Security and Medicare will be insolvent by 2034. Both programs are used as a political cudgel every election, and nothing gets done.
Republicans and Democrats disagree on how to handle the problem. Democrats want to raise taxes on the rich, which will inevitably reach the non-rich. Republicans look to privatizing some of the programs and/or raising the age of retirement.
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Here’s an idea. Quit giving benefits to those who have not earned them. Many SSI disability recipents are able bodied young people. Quit giving benefits to illegal aliens. I’m including the reciprical agreements with LEGAL foreign nationals working in the US and paying into the system and US expats working in foreign countries participating in their retirement programs they have paid into.
Liquidate your retirement accounts and buy physical gold that you can hide from the gummint.
A bigger issue is Inflation. You can’t “Save” for Retirement as long as the US Dollar is a Fiat Currency subject to Inflation. Inflation is eroding the Social Security / Medicare System. The Dollar should not just be the Faith and Credit of the US Government, it should have actual Assets and Commodities supporting it. If we mined all forms of energy in America and taxed those assets we could sure up the System, but the Country must invest in Manufacturing and other forms of production with that energy so the Dollar’s Value is independent of Government Stupidity and Manipulation.
The Social Security / Medicare System should be run like an Insurance Policy. First everyone should pay in as a percentage of wages. Next Family size should come into Play. Single People should pay in twice the Amount or a MARRIED Couple with 2 Children since a Biological Husband and Wife have produced “Replacements” to support the System in the Future.
The Social Security / Medicare System should be put back in a True Lock Box beyond the reach of Politicians. If you secure the Fiat Dollar with actual Assets and Commodities, only then can people confidently save for retirement.
There is nothing solid about the US Dollar it’s value is based on a promise that the US Government is apparently no longer willing to keep!