TY  - JOUR
AU  - Fuchs,Victor R.
TI  - Medicare Reform: The Larger Picture
JF  - National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper Series
VL  - No. 7504
PY  - 2000
Y2  - January 2000
UR  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7504
L1  - http://www.nber.org/papers/w7504.pdf
N1  - Author contact info:
Victor R. Fuchs
796 Cedro Way
Stanford, CA  94305
Tel: 650/326-7639
Fax: 650/328-4163
E-Mail: vfuchs@stanford.edu
AB  - The  Medicare problem' is examined as part of the larger problem of providing for the overall financial needs of the elderly. Several myths about Medicare are discussed, and sources and uses of the elderly's  full income' are estimated.  The paper explores policy options to deal with technology-induced increases in health care expenditures and excessive dependence of the elderly on transfers from the young.  The paper concludes that if Americans wish to continue to enjoy the benefits of medical advances, they will have to work more before and after age 65 and will have to increase substantially their rate of saving.
ER  -