But the truth is more complicated. Though Social Security is way ahead of other government agencies on Y2K– it’s been grinding away at the problem for nearly 10 years–seniors shouldn’t rest too easy. Grandma may have a harder time getting Medicare and Medicaid payments: the agency that runs those programs–and the departments of Energy, State and Justice–have earned failing grades from Congress for their millennium readiness.
Rep. Stephen Horn, chairman of the committee overseeing the government’s Y2K preparedness, is pushing for more action–and education. Panic about the problem could cause runs on the banks and stock-market turmoil. ““What we have to fear,’’ he reminds us, ““is fear itself.’’ In other words, social insecurity.
