My Plan to Preserve, Protect and Reform Medicare and Social Security

As a great, prosperous and compassionate nation, we must ensure access to health care and retirement income security for our seniors. But we must also face the fact that changes are needed to preserve and protect these programs for future generations.

In 1965, health care programs and Social Security spending were less than a sixth of Washington’s budget, but today they consume almost half of all federal spending and crowd out other national priorities. Without action, the problem will only get worse: Spending will more than double — as a share of our economy — by 2040. Unless we make changes to Medicare and Social Security, their trust funds will be exhausted and benefits will be cut. In Medicare, hospital benefits will be cut by nearly 15 percent in 2030. In Social Security, benefits will be cut by more than 20 percent in 2034.

If we do not have an honest conversation about what it will take to protect Medicare and Social Security, we fail seniors and we will fail the next generation of Americans.

I have a proven record of leadership on fixing entitlement programs like Medicaid. We stabilized Medicaid spending, modernized a 1960s-era program and gave patients real control over their health care. The Weekly Standard said, “On health care, no governor has attacked Medicaid, whose costs are swamping state budgets, more boldly…” and The Club for Growth called me a “champion of reforming entitlement programs.” I don’t just talk about problems — I know how to solve them.

Click here to see how I will strengthen Medicare and American retirement income security.