Policies for an Aging Society: (Gerontology)

One in eight Americans today is over the age of 65, and the proportion will increase dramatically in the future. This ageing of the population has begun to drive tax and budget decisions and the federal policy agenda, as policy-makers and voters look ahead to enormous demands on the health and income security programmes. It is projected that Medicare and Social Security will constitute nearly half the federal budget in the year 2030, when one in five Americans will be over 65. In this book, Stuart H. Altman and David I. Shactman have gathered experts in public and health policy, economics, law and management to identify the salient issues and explore realistic options. From positions ranging from liberal to conservative, the contributors take a wide view of the philosophical, economic and programmatic aspects of the social protection programmes for elderly Americans. They ask broad questions and propose integrated conceptions of how society can best provide for the needs of its ageing population.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Contributors Part I: Introduction Chapter 1. Overview: Issues and Options for an Aging Population Chapter 2. An International Perspective on Policies for an Aging Society Part II: The Economic Framework Chapter 3. Budget Estimates: What We Know, What We Can't Know, and Why It Matters Chapter 4. Long-Run Budget Projections and Their Implications For Funding Elderly Entitlements Chapter 5. Increased Public Spending on the Elderly: Can We Afford It? Chapter 6. The Economic Consequences of Funding Growing Elderly Entitlements Chapter 7. The Entitlements Crisis That Never Existed Part III: Policy Alternatives Chapter 8. The Case for Universal Social Insurance Chapter 9. The Moral Imperative of Limiting Elderly Health Entitlements Chapter 10. The Merits of Changing to Defined Contribution Programs Chapter 11. The Case for Retaining Defined Benefit Programs Chapter 12. Private Accounts, Prefunding, and Equity Investment Under Social Security Chapter 13. Changing Retirement Trends and Their Impact on Elderly Entitlement Programs Chapter 14. Aligning Incentives For a National Retirement Policy Part IV: Political Realities Chapter 15. Enacting Reform: What Can We Expect in the Current Political Context? Chapter 16. The Politics of Enacting Reform Chapter 17. The Financial Problems of the Elderly: A Holistic View Index

About the Author :
Stuart H. Altman is Sol C. Chaikin Professor of National Health Policy at Brandeis University. David I. Shactman is a senior research associate at Brandeis University.

Review :
Presents a comprehensive array of writings about the economic, social, and policy issues facing the United States in maintaining a social insurance program for the elderly into the 21st century. The book covers aging policy broadly and in depth, and the text provides good explanations for the technical concepts discussed in the book. -- Peggy A. Gallup Inquiry The authors and editors have created a timely, readable, and thought provoking text. The reader is drawn into the debate and leaves hoping that our leaders use such an approach to find long-term solutions for the healthcare and retirement needs of our increasingly aging population. -- Anna Maio, M.D. Doody's Rating This important book is distinguished by its careful attention to all three major programs affording retirement security to the elderly (Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid), by its admirable insistence on the need to bring both historical and international perspectives to bear on contemporary American welfare state topics, and by its balanced treatment of the political and economic dimensions of critical policy issues. -- Eric M. Patashnik Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law