reprinted from Morgan Gable at http://futureofaging.aahsa.org
Tis the season for milestone birthdays in the aging field. So far this summer, we have already celebrated the 45th birthdays of both the Older Americans Act (OAA) and the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the 20th birthday of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
As of Saturday, we can add the 75th birthday of the Social Security program.
According to a recent report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP), “Social Security keeps 20 million people out of poverty and almost half of older adults would be poor” without the program.
However, despite all of its successes, Social Security has taken a hit recently on the congressional level and in the press. The fiscal commission, created by President Obama, has repeatedly looked at Social Security, focusing some of its time on trying to “reform” the program.
Here’s a news flash: Social Security is 100 percent O.K. (meaning it will be able to pay out all of its benefits) until at least 2037 with ZERO changes to the program. Some groups have proposed small changes that would further extend the solvency of the program for at least 75 more years.
Our friends at Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) have developed a plethora of resources on Social Security, including an option to send a birthday card!
Social Security has been, and should continue to be, an incredibly important part of our nation’s retirement “system.” While everyone agrees that it shouldn’t be the sole, or maybe even the main, source of funding for people’s retirement, its place in our history is impressive.
Finally, it’s important to remember that Social Security is not the reason for our nation’s debt problems (dramatically increasing health care costs are!). So, join me in wishing Social Security a happy, happy birthday, with many more to come…you don’t even have to bring a gift to this party!
