|
Numbers tell the story. As health care goes up, the value of Medicare benefits is catching up to Social Security's. A two-earner couple with average wages retiring in 1980 would have expected to receive health care worth $132,000 through Medicare over their remaining lifetimes, and $446,000, or about three times more, in Social Security payments. For a similar couple who retired last year, the Medicare benefit will be worth $343,000, compared to Social Security payments totaling $539,000, less than twice as much. The numbers, from economists at the nonpartisan Urban Institute, are adjusted for inflation to allow direct comparison. For low-income single retirees and some couples, the value of expected Medicare benefits already exceeds that of Social Security. The poll found a deep current of pessimism about the future of Social Security and Medicare. As much as Americans say the programs are indispensable, only 35 percent say it's extremely or very likely that Social Security will be there to pay benefits through their entire retirement. For Medicare, it was 36 percent. Again, there's a sharp difference between what the public believes and what experts say. Most experts say the programs will be there for generations to come. But they may look very different than they do today, and Americans should take note. "Do they have a basis for worrying that these programs are going to pay them much less than they're currently promising?" asked economist Charles Blahous. "Yes, absolutely. Do they have a basis for being concerned that the programs may have to be structurally changed in order to survive? The answer to that is yes, too." A trustee of Social Security and Medicare, Blahous served as an economic adviser to President George W. Bush. Republican lawmakers don't inspire much confidence right now when it comes to dealing with retirement programs, the poll found. Democrats have the advantage as the party more trusted to do a better job handling Social Security by 52 percent to 34 percent, and Medicare by 54 percent to 33 percent. Often, but not always, major revisions have been accomplished through bipartisan compromise. Sue DeSantis, 61, a store clerk from West Milton, Ohio, worries she won't be able to rely on either program. Both are important to her well-being, but she thinks changes are inevitable. And she has little confidence in lawmakers. "I don't put my faith in politicians, and I don't put my faith in the government," said DeSantis. "I'm a Christian. I believe that God will take care of me. That doesn't mean I should be foolish and not look at anything, but I don't believe that the politicians are necessarily going to do the best for the common ordinary person like myself." The Associated Press-GfK poll was conducted May 5-9, 2011, by GfK Roper Public Affairs & Corporate Communications. It involved landline and cell phone interviews with 1,001 adults nationwide and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points. ___ Online: Poll results: http://www.ap-gfkpoll.com/
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching & Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries
Community |
Perspectives
|
Law & Courts |
Leisure Time
|
Spiritual Life |
Health & Fitness |
Teen Scene
Calendar
|
Letters to the Editor