entitlements

One of the most daunting things about the long-term federal budget problem is that the programs that are in the most trouble -- Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security -- are also running on autopilot. Unlike the rest of the budget, Congress doesn't vote on these programs every year. They're driven by formulas, not by conscious decisions by policymakers.

The good news from the Social Security and Medicare trustees is that things haven't gotten any worse. The bad news is that the situation was bad anyway.

The Social Security and Medicare trustees' report is due today, and my first question is: will Medicare be the lead of anyone's news story today?

The New York Times today has a story looking at the "other" health care issue in the presidental campaign: skyrocketing costs. Most of the debate in recent weeks has been over how to cover the uninsured, particularly in the Democratic race.

Andrew Taylor at the Associated Press earned his pay today with this story, "Costly Campaign Vows Face Reality Check." It's today's must-read budget story, for the simple reason that it states the facts the candidates won't tell you: the b

People in Washington who worry about Social Security’s long-term future often complain about mixed messages from the public. But when I talk to them I hear some mixed messages, too.

In the world of federal budget politics, February may end up being the month of Medicare. And not a moment too soon.

President Bush will give his final State of the Union address tomorrow night, and the word that keeps coming up in news stories ahead of the speech is "modest."