On

It is puzzling why you are so adamant that your
"redemption of your social contract" to not be called a cost?
If you had a private insurance policy that was paying
the bills would that not be a cost to the insurance company?

Yes, just as the premium payments were credits. I'll assume that
your question is genuine and not disengenuous.

If I redeem my U.S. Savings bonds, from an accounting point of view
the payment to me would be a "cost to society", just as the money I
paid for them was a "credit to society". But there is an inferential
and rhetorical difference in that the term "cost to society" is often
used disparagingly as a net drain: the cost of fighting unpopular
wars, the cost of imprisoning felons, etc.

BTW President Obama has stated repeatedly that the main objective
of health care reform is to address
the looming problem with the medicare system.

Yes, he has said that but he hasn't said how. He continues to offer
hope for change.