Exactly - universality is why Social Security and Medicare haven't been politically destroyed (yet) and remain the most popular public programs in the history o

Exactly - universality is why Social Security and Medicare haven't been politically destroyed (yet) and remain the most popular public programs in the history of the US. Means testing is not only inimical to the concept of shared benefits, but it's actually expensive to perform the means-testing. And some people who should qualify don't get the benefits.