Jonathan Bernstein has a great piece noting that recent economic data indicates that Medicare might not be facing the type of long-term fiscal challenges as repeatedly advertised. As Bernstein rightly notes:
"What this really means is that we need an immediate moratorium on “grand bargain” talk. We need a halt to any major reforms undertaken purely for budgetary reasons — either the major cuts that Republicans have pushed for or the search for a deficit reduction deal exchanging spending cuts for new revenues that Barack Obama wants. It means the best replacement for sequestration is probably nothing, at least for now. And, most of all, it means continuing to implement the Affordable Care Act, especially those provisions that are intended to reduce costs."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/...