Prospects and Implications of Medicare Reform for Households

Medicare is crucial to the financial wellbeing of retirees. Calls for Medicare reform need to proceed with caution to ensure the program continues to support retiree financial security. Medicare serves over 40 million of the most-difficult to insure patients, many of whom lack
the resources to pay the full costs of their healthcare. For many providers of healthcare services, it is the largest source of revenue, and its rules and regulations affect all health care delivery. Any major reform must take into account these stakeholders, creating a
substantial public policy challenge. While there are no easy answers, there are options for change that hold considerable promise.