Medicare and Social Security are key social insurance programs, protecting the nation’s elderly (and disabled) against economic insecurity and the rising cost of health care. But both programs are also subject to many common misconceptions and myths. This webinar will debunk some of those myths and discuss several key aspects of Social Security and Medicare, focusing especially on their financing – both strengths as well as challenges for the future. It will address questions such as: Are Medicare and Social Security on affordable paths? How are their benefits and costs projected to change in the future? Why has Social Security’s disability insurance grown in recent years, and what is its financial status? What do surveys show about how Americans view Social Security? Finally, the webinar will review potential pathways and policy options to strengthen each program – including, for Medicare, restructuring the program, changing beneficiary cost sharing and increasing revenues; and for Social Security, increasing revenues, reducing benefits, and improving benefits for adequacy.