We are in constant vigilance that this remains the case and any action necessary to achieve this will be undertaken. With these few remarks, it is now my pleasant duty and honour to welcome the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance to make a few remarks and to welcome you to address this Forum.
Projections of future medical costs are fraught with uncertainty, but history suggests that - without significant changes in policy - these costs are likely to continue to rise more quickly than incomes, at least for the foreseeable future. Together with the aging of the population, ongoing increases in medical costs will lead to a rapid expansion of Medicare and Medicaid expenditures.