Question

Government, including federal, state and local spent over $6.5 trillion in 2015. Choose any government program and amount spent; and state your opinion on the value of the program (dollars spent). You can choose any one from large (Medicare) to small (National Endowment for the Arts).

Answer 1

In 2018, Medicare spending amounted to $731 billion. Presently, that is about 15 per cent of the overall central budget. That number is not expected to decline, with several anticipating that the percentage will rise to around 18 per cent over the next decade.

When we consider that this staggering sum could be spent on other important programs, such as eliminating poverty, education, mental sicknesses cures, & social justice, it at least causes us to question the overall efficacy of the program.

In several senses, Medicare does ‘work.’ Thanks to it, billions of aging adults have been able to get coverage when they otherwise would not be able to afford it. Prior to 1965, when Medicare was formulated, nearly nine million older adults did not have health coverage. That number is considerably greater than the 508,000 seniors who were uncovered in 2018. Medicare also covers several younger citizens with disabilities who, otherwise, wouldn’t have medical care.

Consider the implications if it did not exist. Elderly Americans, who typically require the most medical attention , would have to shell out very high medical expenses directly out of pocket. The overall paid per annum would be staggering, most probably exceeding their annual earnings.

Persons with disabilities would be completely dependent upon their caretakers, who may / may not be able to pay for medical care.

Medicare is helpful because it covers so many persons.