How Much Savings Can We Wring from Medicare?

The recent U.S. debt crisis and the compromise to raise the debt ceiling may have particular salience for health care providers over the next decade. In particular, Congress empaneled a 12-member super committee (6 Republicans and 6 Democrats) to find an additional $1.5 trillion in debt savings over 10 years. Given the magnitude of this charter, a logical target of reform is the Medicare program, which accounts for about 15% of federal spending and more of its projected growth. (October 12, 2011)