The problem of how to pay the increasingly costly medical bills of retired Americans is rapidly rising as a national priority, not just among policymakers, but also among the general public. As a result, deeper thinking within the health policy community on two broad issues is taking place: How...

When Medicare was enacted in 1965 it was financed in a manner similar to Social Security. Workers and employers were required to pay the same tax rate for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance), up to the Social Security wage base, and beneficiaries paid the same premium for Medicare Part B...