With the potential of universal healthcare paid through the government (via our taxes), what is the likelihood that they will be able to take costs out?

With the aging of boomers, more are experiencing chronic healthcare conditions and will be unlikely to vote (as the largest demographic group) on any cost reforms that may limit their full access to healthcare services.

I think this will cause the spending to further escalate under universal government healthcare in the U.S. Curious to get other points of view...

That’s what you get with a population budge. They’re going to try to get what they have been paying to the government all these years, the only problem is that this cohort known as the “bommers” do not have the tax payers behind them to pick up the slack. I say phase out Social Security. If we keep it going the only real alternative is to let more and more in from the third world and before you know it the U.S will have close to a 1,000,000,000 people. I am planning for a retirement without S.S. & Medicare.

I think that the boomers wish that they would not have to negotate any ration in healthcare - but the fact of the matter is that with a rising deficit, decreasing economy, S.S. about bust - they will have to ration and look to new out-of-box approaches for sustaining healthcare benefits