No, Social Security and Medicare aren’t going to go broke

 Here’s the headline in the Boston Globe:

“Medicare and Social Security go-broke dates pushed up due to rising health care costs, new SSA law”

 

Read further and you find this:

“The go-broke date — or the date at which the programs will no longer have enough funds to pay full benefits — was pushed up to 2033 for Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund, according to the new report from the programs’ trustees. Last year’s report put the go-broke date at 2036.

 

“Meanwhile, Social Security’s trust funds — which cover old age and disability recipients — will be unable to pay full benefits beginning in 2034, instead of last year’s estimate of 2035. After that point, Social Security would only be able to pay 81% of benefits.”

 

*snip*

“Once the fund’s reserves become depleted, Medicare would be able to cover only 89% of costs for patients’ hospital visits, hospice care and nursing home stays or home health care that follow hospital visits.”

So “broke” doesn’t really mean broke. It means that SS and Medicare won’t be able to pay out at currently projected rates. While this isn’t good, and both programs should be fully funded, it’s a far cry from running out of money, which is what “broke” means.

This sort of pernicious nonsense is what feeds liars like Elon Musk, who call Social Security a Ponzi Scheme. Shame on the Globe for resorting to clickbait.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/06/18/nation/medicare-social-security-go-broke-dates/