Trotting out the old "Security, Medicare, and Medicaid" line, Washington Post columnist Robert Samuleson complained that programs that serve an aging population threaten to take up 75 percent of the federal budget by 2030, and no one is talking about it.
Those familiar with federal budget projections (which should include economics columnists at the Washington Post) know that the bulk of the projected increase in costs in these programs is due to rising health care costs, not the aging of the population. Those familiar with the debate among presidential candidates (which should include economics columnists at the Washington Post) know that reforming the country's health care system has been by far the most important domestic policy issue.
In other words, the politicians are talking about the country's real budget problem, the rising cost of health care. What is Robert Samuelson talking about?
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