Medicare Reform Project
The New America Foundation's Medicare Reform Project seeks to transform our federal government’s largest health care program into one that is both more sustainable and equitable. In cooperation with the Urban Institute, the Project convened an Advisory Council in 2006 to commission a set of papers. New America will host a conference to highlight and discuss the findings of both rounds of papers in 2008.
*** To view the agenda for our July 23 Making Medicare Sustainable event, and to RSVP, click here. ***
Why Reform Medicare?
Medicare is our federal government’s largest health program, spending $336 billion last year providing 42.5 million American seniors and those with disabilities with medical care. Since it was implemented in 1966, it has been successful lengthening and improving the quality of life for its beneficiaries because it has provided access to health coverage to many individuals who would otherwise be uninsured.
While successful and popular, Medicare is in serious need of structural repair. Medicare’s current financing system is not sustainable and it too often does not result in good value—that is, high quality care at an affordable cost.
It is our hope that this project will benefit all sides and ideologies in the next presidential campaign, as the first baby boomers will begin to retire during the next administration, 2011. In addition to reforming Medicare itself, it is the hope of the Project is to influence the state of private health care as well. Much of the private health system follows Medicare because of its substantial market power, and it is our hope that this project—along with the other health policy initiatives of the New America Foundation, will create an affordable, efficient, high-quality, and universal health care system for all Americans.
Advisory Council
Len Nichols, New America Foundation; Project Co-Director
Robert Berenson, Urban Institute; Project Co-Director
Stuart Altman, Brandeis University
Stuart Butler, Heritage Foundation
Lawrence P. Casalino, M.D., University of Chicago
Nancy-Ann DeParle, CCMP Capital
Jack Ebeler, Ebeler Consulting
John Holahan, Urban Institute
Paul Light, NYU/Brookings Institution
Mark A. Peterson, UCLA
Uwe Reinhardt, Princeton University
Robert Reischauer, Urban Institute
John Rother, AARP
Gail Wilensky, Project HOPE
