Taxpayer Watchdog Group Releases New Poll on Entitlement Reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new poll released by the Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) shows that voters want serious reforms to Medicare and Social Security.

As concerns about the looming insolvency of Social Security and Medicare programs continue to flame tensions within Congress and public discourse, TPA partnered with Public Opinion Strategies to conduct a poll highlighting American voters’ views on these hotly debated programs.

The poll shows that 87 percent of respondents believe that policymakers should begin implementing changes as soon as possible to extend the life of Social Security, avoid benefit cuts, and ensure that future participants have enough benefits to support their retirement. Similarly, 89 percent of respondents believe policymakers must act to ensure Medicare’s solvency and avoid painful cuts.

Other key polling highlights include:

• 93 percent of voters say that Congress and the President should work together now to find solutions to Medicare’s long-term financial challenges in order to avoid benefit cuts and reduced health care access for retirees.
• 90 percent of voters believe Presidential and Congressional candidates running for elected office in 2024 should discuss the financial challenges facing the Medicare program and outline their solutions to ensure it remains solvent.
• Only 5 percent of voters say Congress and the President should do nothing and allow scheduled cuts to Social Security benefits to take effect once we reach the funding shortfall.
• Voters find a variety of reforms to Medicare “totally/mostly acceptable,” including:
  • Recouping billions in improper Medicare overcharges, payments and fraud that already occur every year (84 percent)
  • Imposing stronger financial oversight of health insurance companies that are managing certain Medicare benefits (76 percent)
  • Limiting Medicare benefits for higher income and wealthier beneficiaries (66 percent)

The crisis can’t be ignored: According to Medicare’s own Board of Trustees, Medicare Part A will be depleted by 2031. And, according to the Social Security Administration’s Board of Trustees, Social Security’s Trust Fund reserves will be depleted by 2035 or earlier and require an automatic 23 percent cut at that time if no changes are made.

“Our polling shows that Americans are seriously worried about the solvency of these entitlement programs,” said Taxpayers Protection Alliance President David Williams. “Congress can no longer continue to ignore the facts that without action, Social Security and Medicare will face deep and automatic cuts. Proactive steps must be taken to reform these fiscally unsound programs or Americans will be faced with the consequences of their representatives’ blatant disregard for the uncomfortable truth.

This poll is a fiscal wake up call to Congress and all Presidential candidates,” concluded Williams.

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Taxpayers Protection Alliance (TPA) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis and dissemination of information on the government’s effects on the economy.