29 pages. "Although the Social Security system is not in crisis, it faces a serious solvency and sustainability challenge that is growing as time passes.... Absent changes in budget policy, the nation will ultimately have to choose among escalating federal deficits and debt, huge tax increases and/or dramatic budget cuts. As GAO's long-term budget simulations show, substantive reform of Social Security and our major federal health programs (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid) is critical to saving our nation's fiscal future." [GAO-05-397T, published Mar. 9, 2005, released Mar. 9, 2005]