Reforming Medicare resembles the old cliché about the weather: everyone (at least in DC) talks about it—but no one does anything about it. The reason everyone talks about it is because Medicare is one of the largest items in the federal budget. The reason no one does anything about it is because Medicare’s beneficiaries are senior citizens. Seniors have higher voting rates than any other age group. Politicians who suggest any changes to Medicare will be smeared by their political opponents as wanting to deprive seniors of health care. This attack will come even if the reforms in question will not deprive any senior of health care, and will actually stop some providers from gaming the system to increase their payments. Any politician willing to risk these attacks deserves praise from fiscal conservatives, seniors, and all those who want to see their Medicare taxes used in the most effective way possible.
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