Date of Defense

4-15-2015

Date of Graduation

5-2015

Department

Mathematics

First Advisor

Susan Hoffmann

Second Advisor

Kevin Corder

Third Advisor

David Houghton

Abstract

My thesis is formatted in the style of a political brief, based upon the program Medicare. This report discusses the question of whether the Medicare program is performing effectively. It discusses the origins and development of Medicare, its mission and reason for the program. Included is the staffing of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a center within the Department of Health and Human Services. It discusses the historical, current, and projected funding through FY 2015. Most notably it contains the program performance ratings of Medicare from the White House, CBO, OMB, and CMS. Medicare is a program that became law in 1965, championed by President Lyndon B Johnson. The program is broken down into four parts: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D. Medicare is housed under the Department of Health and Human Services, run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services which is temporarily led by Andrew Slavitt while a new head is being appointed. In FY 2015, outlays for Medicare are expected to total $529 billion, which was approximately 17% of the total Federal Budget. The President’s budget proposal for FY 2016 calls for Medicare to be $585 billion, which is 16.7% of the FY2016 proposed federal budget. This report concludes that Medicare is considered an effective program by the Office of Management and Budget, the Congressional Budget Office, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid, and the annual performance plan created by the Department of Health and Human Services. Finally, recommendations are given to either cap Medicare spending at the rate it is now, or disband Medicare and create an alternative health insurance plan.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

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