A Silver Tsunami Is About to Hit U.S. Health Care

Retiring Baby Boomers Will Drown a Stressed System—or Save It

Every day between 2010 and 2029, 10,000 Baby Boomers retire. Some say that the aging of this massive generation—which makes up slightly more than a quarter of the U.S. population—threatens to break the health care system. As more people live longer, they will seek more treatment from a system already beset by critical professional shortages. In addition, Baby Boomers face epidemics of obesity and diabetes. The trustees of Medicare estimate the program will run out of money by 2030. Is it possible to build our health care infrastructure to accommodate …