“The federal government claims its debt is about $6 trillion, when in fact it is six times as large. According to budget expert Andrew Rettenmaier at the National Center for Policy Analysis, the actual debt includes $12.9 trillion in federal obligations to people who are owed Social Security and Medicare benefits, and $16.9 trillion for Medicaid benefits.
“Thus the actual federal debt is approximately $36 trillion, calculates Rettenmaier, a figure that amounts to $120,000 for every man, woman, and child in America.