“Health care spending growth is threatening the sustainability of not only the Medicare program and the overall health system, but also the nation’s fiscal health,” said Cori Uccello , the senior health fellow for the American Academy of Actuaries. “Our message to the members of the committee is that achieving long-term sustainability for Medicare will require slowing the growth in overall health spending, not simply shifting costs from one payer to another.”

Noting the importance of the program in ensuring access to care for older Americans, the actuaries wrote that when members of the committee evaluate potential Medicare reforms for the purpose of deficit reduction, they should be mindful of the effect that these reforms could have on the cost, access to, and quality of care.

The committee’s letter to the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction is available here.