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A review of public opinion and focus-group research reveals consistently inadequate understanding of Medicare by the public and misinterpretation of public opinion information by policy advocates. Closer analysis of apparent conflicts in values related to self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and government, however, reveals strong support for the basic premises of social insurance embodied in Medicare. The likelihood of meaningful policy discussions about Medicare depends, in part, on whether the policy and research communities can find ways to provide the electorate with the knowledge they need to understand the implications of reform. P u bl ic opi ni on pol l s sh ow strong intergenerational support for Medicare and a desire to ensure the financial wellbeing of the program. 1 The evidence suggests that the public's views about Medicare have reflected a fairly constant set of values about fairness and government responsibility. These values seem to have survived despite skepticism about the efficiency of government, the trustworthiness of the health care industry, and serious gaps in the public's understanding of virtually all policy-relevant aspects of the Medicare program-from how it is organized and financed to what options are available to beneficiaries. 2As a new round of public debate about the future of Medicare takes shape, the public's views will once again be tapped and appraised-and probably misrepresented in the media.

We describe a healthcare worker with a previously positive tuberculin skin test result who developed active tuberculosis. An investigation revealed 280 potential contacts, 3 of whom had positive tuberculin skin test results. Our experience demonstrates the potential benefits of therapy for latent tuberculosis infection as a component of a tuberculosis-control program.

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