Actuarial status of the SMI Trust Fund.

This article, adapted from the 1990 Annual Report of the Medicare Board of Trustees, presents a summary of the current and projected financial and actuarial status of the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. The Board reports that the present financing schedule for the HI program is sufficient to ensure the payment of benefits over the next 13-15 years if the intermediate (II-A and II-B) assumptions underlying the estimates are realized. Although steps have been taken to reduce the rate of growth in payments to hospitals, the Board urges Congress to take remedial measures to bring future HI program costs and financing into balance without adversely affecting the quality of health care.