ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the current status of Medicare and offers options for reform with a particular focus on the program’s beneficiaries. It addresses the changes that Medicare has undergone and how well they have succeeded. The book focuses on two general periods of Medicare’s history: first, an emphasis on access in the early years of the program, and then, beginning in the late 1970s, a shift to concern about cost containment. It also provides a case study on a critical piece of legislation, the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act. The book considers possible marginal cost-containment measures as well as modest benefit expansions. It then discusses broader options for reducing Medicare spending. The book also addresses the issues related to possible expansion of the system, although such plans are proffered less frequently in the mid-1990s.
