Fifty years ago, Medicare was sold on the promise that it would unite the nation. But with Medicare’s unfunded liabilities approaching $100 trillion — a shortfall equaling almost six times the size of today’s economy — the question is whether Medicare will instead tear Americans apart.

Though many people know that Medicare is unsustainable, the program remains a third-rail issue in politics — untouchable in the minds of many Americans and political suicide for politicians who dare to approach it. In this talk, recorded February 18, 2015 at ARI’s headquarters in southern California, I explain one of the reasons why Medicare has attained this political status and what can be done about it.

Separately, I also recorded three short Q&As on this topic, which you can view by clicking on the links below:

• Why Is Medicare Seen As “Untouchable”?
• What Are the Parallels Between Medicare and Obamacare?
• Are Medicare Benefits Earned?

My talk was a part of ARI’s Road to a Free Society speaker series. Previous talks from this series include:

• Onkar Ghate — Religion vs. Freedom [Video]
• Steve Simpson — Cronyism, Corruption and Government Power [Video]
• Don Watkins — End the Debt Draft How the Welfare State Is Exploiting Millennials [Video]
• Keith Lockitch — The Sacred Self: Ayn Rand On Abortion, Foreign Policy and Environmentalism [Video]