Medicare Spending as a Share of U.S. GDP

Medicare's trustees have projected that it is possible to stabilize Medicare spending, in terms of its share of the economy, as long as the government restricts its reimbursements to providers. They have also forecast what will happen if payments grow in line with historical rates.

The Medicare trustees are the secretaries of the Treasury, Labor and Health and Human Services departments, plus the Social Security commissioner. There can be up to two additional trustees, but those seats have long been vacant.
Chart: The Conversation, CC-BY-ND Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services