The Future of Medicare

With the future of Medicare in America in serious financial trouble, can a Christian voice offer anything to the discussion? Jonathan T. Swanson suggests it can. The number of elderly is increasing, the number of young to support the Medicare system is decreasing, and medical costs are climbing at an alarming rate. Predictions are that these factors will combine to bankrupt Medicare and cause the largest fiscal avalanche in American history. One solution Daniel Callahan has put forward, which has gained attention and criticism, is age-based rationing: beyond a certain age, Medicare will only reimburse for palliative care, not curative care. Swanson offers a critical examination of age-based rationing and its many detractors. Although quick to criticize, most opponents fail to identify any alternatives. James M. Gustafson and his theocentric ethics, a Christian approach, is presented as another way. Gustafson fills many of the methodological gaps left by Callahan, and he offers an adept engagement of end-of-life issues, such as decline and death. Anyone concerned about the future of Medicare will find this book adds an alternative voice to the discussion.