ABSTRACT
In the 1990s, Medicare and other public programs are facing unprecedented scrutiny by taxpayers who believe they are not getting full value for their dollars. And although Medicare consistendy ranks among the most popular federal programs, to achieve the promises of politicians who wish to balance the budget while cutting taxes, few programs can be immune to major reductions. Moreover, legitimate concerns about the future of our entidement programs and somewhat more gratuitous warnings about intergenerational warfare also dictate the need to carefully reexamine Medicare. It is in this context that a frank discussion about age-related programs is raised.
Raising the question about the need for an age-related healthcare program in the midst of a serious debate about providing universal health insurance for all Americans is quite different from raising the issue in the context of a discussion of what programs to eliminate or scale back
