Social Security to be Exhausted by 2036; Medicare by 2024

The Trustees of the Social Security System and the Medicare Funds released May 13, 2011 report on the status of the SS trust fund and the Medicare trust fund. The headlines were that social security insurance trust fund would be exhausted by 2036. After which the collected taxes would pay for 75% of the cost of the program. The medicare trust fund balance would hit zero in the year 2024. However, taxes cover 90% of that programs cost. Due to the economy and the aging population, the SSI date is one year sooner and and the medicare date five years sooner.

The trustee's report is here.