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Retirement

The federal government devotes a substantial and growing share of its budget to benefits for the nation's retirees through Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. According to CBO’s projections, federal spending on the “big three” benefit programs will grow from less than half of all federal spending in 2012 to three-fifths in 2023. CBO projects federal spending for those programs under current law for the next decade and for the longer term, and it analyzes a wide range of proposals to change those programs. (See Health Care for further discussion of CBO’s work on federal health care programs.) Additionally, the exclusion of pension contributions and earnings from taxable income constitutes one of the largest preferences in the federal income tax code. Together with the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation, CBO analyzes the budgetary and economic effects of such tax preferences and potential changes to them.

Sub-Topics:

  • Medicare
  • Pensions
  • Private Health Insurance
  • Social Security

related publications


  • The 2013 Long-Term Budget Outlook

    September 17, 2013
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Testimony on The 2013 Long-Term Budget Outlook

report

September 26, 2013

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Press Briefing on The 2013 Long-Term Budget Outlook

presentation

September 23, 2013

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monthly archive

  • September 2013 (22)
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Medicare and Social Security Payroll Taxes and Benefits for People in Different Birth Cohorts

posted by Noah Meyerson & Julie Topoleski on September 20, 2013

monthly archive

  • September 2013 (22)
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How Does Social Security Work?

posted by Noah Meyerson & Sheila Dacey on September 19, 2013

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Why CBO Changed Its Approach to Projecting Mortality

posted by Joyce Manchester on September 24, 2013

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  • Supplemental Material

  • supplemental data
  • Press Briefing on The 2013 Long-Term Budget Outlook

related publications


  • Updated Budget Projections: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023

    May 14, 2013
  • CBO's Baseline Budget Projections, as of May 2013, With Percentages of GDP Updated to Reflect Recent Revisions by the Bureau of Economic Analysis

    September 11, 2013
  • Updated Historical Budget Data Following BEA's Recent Update of the National Income and Product Accounts

    August 12, 2013
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The 2013 Long-Term Budget Outlook

report

September 17, 2013

read complete document  (pdf, 1071 kb)

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  • Technical Paper 2004-09: Health Shocks and the Demand for Annuities

    July 02, 2004
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Optimal Annuitization with Stochastic Mortality Probabilities: Working Paper 2013-05

working paper

June 26, 2013

read complete document  (pdf, 1881 kb)

  • Supplemental Material

  • Methods for Analysis of the Financing and Use of Long-Term Services and Supports

related publications


  • Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid: Characteristics, Health Care Spending, and Evolving Policies

    June 06, 2013
  • Financing Long-Term Care for the Elderly

    April 01, 2004
  • Projections of Expenditures for Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly

    March 01, 1999
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Rising Demand for Long-Term Services and Supports for Elderly People

report

June 26, 2013

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  • Rising Demand for Long-Term Services and Supports for Elderly People

    June 26, 2013
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Methods for Analysis of the Financing and Use of Long-Term Services and Supports

data or technical information

June 26, 2013

read complete document  (pdf, 90 kb)

related publications


  • Updated Budget Projections: Fiscal Years 2013 to 2023

    May 14, 2013
  • The 2012 Long-Term Budget Outlook

    June 05, 2012
  • Updated Budget Projections: Fiscal Years 2012 to 2022

    March 13, 2012
  • Background Paper: CBO's Long-Term Model: An Overview

    June 26, 2009
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How CBO Prepares Long-Term Projections of Federal Spending for Social Security and Major Health Care Programs

presentation

May 21, 2013

read complete document  (pdf, 215 kb)

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