The crisis in the Health Care and social Security Systems in the United States has been growing relentlessly for two decades.  Politicians have developed numerous proposals to address the problems, but none have been successfully adopted or implemented.  It is common knowledge that there are major problems in both heath care and social security.  

Both Healthcare and Social Security have unfortunately become a partisan, political issue that can only be successfully addressed by a bipartisan commission that will study the problem and formulate a solution that Congress agrees to vote only up or down with no amendments or changes.  The bipartisan commission should investigate and study all potential steps to avert an impending disaster in Healthcare and Social Security.

 Health Care   

According to a September 2007 report by Families USA, · One out of  every three Americans is uninsured. · 89.6 million Americans under the age of 65 are uninsured. · 64.2 million  (of the 89.6 million) uninsured are adults (18-64 years old). · 79.3 percent of those without health insurance are from working families. 

In the Healthcare area, which poses larger problems, consideration might be given to:  

• Supporting  small business owners with alternative systems of health care for their employees.

• Developing  strategies to improve preventive health care

• Developing  alternative systems of health care coverage in the free market  economy

• Reforming  medical liability – placing a cap on the amounts individuals can be compensated through lawsuits

• Looking for ways to provide  affordable medical health coverage for all citizens

• Employers who provide medical insurance doing so for all employees without discrimination

• Requiring Medicare to be means-tested, so that only those who need it receive it. 

Social Security   

It has been predicted that by 2018, Social Security will be paying out more than it is taking in.  By 2027, the  government will need to come up with $200 billion a year to keep the system  afloat.  By 2033, the annual shortfall will be more than $300 billion a year.   By 2041, when workers now in their mid-20s begin to retire, the system will be bankrupt – unless we act now to save it. (These statistics are taken from a report titled,  “Strengthening Social Security” and can be found at http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/social-security/)

In Social Security, consideration might be given to:  

• Changing the  payroll tax cap considering that payroll taxes (FICA) are withheld only on  income up to $97,000

• Providing a voluntary waiver of Social Security benefits for those retirees whose income is over $250,000 per year  

• Making the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) currently available only to Federal employees and members of Congress available to all working Americans

• Working with state and local governments to develop strategies and resources to support our aging population 

• Developing an affordable supplementary insurance plan for all Americans that will help defray the cost of long term-care facilities and at-home care

• Promoting the development of individual and family savings plans and private accounts.  

While these suggestions do not provide definitive answers for our Healthcare and Social Security crises, I believe they indicate the direction in which the  answers  lie.