Tag: intergenerational equity

  • Why the Elderly Should Support Health Care Rationing

    On the face of it, it would seem preposterous to argue that the over 65 population should support health care rationing. After all, both Democrats and Republicans regularly pledge to protect Medicare from any changes and attack the other party for threatening the program. And in a 2012 Pew Foundation poll, over 65ers by a…

  • Balancing adequacy and sustainability: lessons from the Global Aging Preparedness Index

    The world stands on the threshold of a stunning demographic transformation brought about by falling fertility and rising life expectancy. It is called global aging, and it will challenge the ability of many countries to provide a decent standard of living for the old without imposing too big a burden on the young. The GAP…

  • Japan – and then there was one

    Population: 127.4m 65 years and over: 23.9% Life expectancy at birth: 83.9 years Population in 2050: 99.7m Everybody knows that Japan is ground zero for global ageing. The youngest of the developed countries as recently as the mid-1970s, it is now the oldest – and its age wave will continue to roll in for decades…

  • Public pensions need to evolve

    The Ontario Teachers Pension Plan recently released a new documentary on the sustainability of pension plans titled “Pension Plan (ev e looSHen).”  It presents interviews with practitioners and experts from Canada, the United States, and The Netherlands.  The tone and conclusions of the film really resonated with me. The theme of the documentary is that…

  • Ageism and Social Insecurity

    Right after this New Year, when we all became a year older, a headline in the January 3rd Chicago Tribune grabbed my attention. “Congress problem? Aging America. Budget debate is really about the needs of baby boomers vs. younger generations: Safety needs for seniors vs. jobs, education.”

  • Alliance Between the Generations for Responsible Medicare Savings

    There’s no way to address long term financial health in the U.S. without including Medicare savings in the mix.  But political action has been stymied by fear among politicians that we over 65ers will rebel against any and every proposal to contain Medicare costs.

  • Suing Your Children

    During a recent teaching trip to Singapore I learned about the country’s fascinating Maintenance of Parents Act, which went into effect in 1996.  The law allows Singapore residents over 60 who are unable to maintain themselves adequately to claim maintenance from their children, either in a lump-sum payment or in the form of monthly allowances.…

  • Do Boomers Threaten Young Workers’ Jobs?

    As life expectancy increases and the retirement income system contracts, households face an enormous challenge in ensuring a secure retirement. Working longer is the best way to increase retirement incomes. But some suggest that more work by older persons reduces the job opportunities for younger persons.

  • Social Security: Should the Over-55 Be Protected?

    As Congress and the President begin to grapple with the looming “fiscal cliff,” the topic of Social Security reform could receive renewed attention as part of any effort to address the long-term budget deficit.  Some have asked whether policymakers considering Social Security changes could learn anything from recent state and local pension reforms.  One of…

  • Should We Accept Kidney Donations from our Children?

    I’ve been looking into the phenomenon of organ donation from children to parents. Since I believe our national approach to Medicare injures future generations on behalf of us in the over 65 cohort, I wanted to see how we’re dealing with the most tangible form of intergenerational transfer – organ donation.