"Daniel Shaviro sees the future of our national healthcare system as hinging on funding. The author of books on the economic issues surrounding Social Security and budget deficits, Shaviro is a skilled guide for anyone seeking to understand the financial aspects of government programs. Who Should Pay for Medicare? offers an accessible overview of how Medicare operates as a fiscal system. Discussions of Medicare reform often focus on the expansion of program treatment choices but not on the question of who should pay for Medicare's services. Shaviro's book addresses this critical issue, examining the underanalyzed dynamics of the significant funding gap threatening Medicare. He gives a balanced, nonpartisan evaluation of reform alternatives and attendant issues - ranging from the creation of new benefits and the use of tax cuts to the consequences of demographic pressures on future generations to pay for the care of today's seniors." "Who Should Pay for Medicare? speaks to seniors who feel entitled to expanded coverage, younger people who wonder what to expect from the government when they retire, and Washington policy makers who need a guide-book to Medicare's future."--BOOK JACKET.