Meeting the Health Needs of the Aged

Abstract

Because the aged have higher than average medical needs, their medical care expenditures equaled at least 16 per cent of the nation's medical bill in 1960, although only 9 per cent of the population is sixty-five and over. Public funds already account for a fourth of this medical bill. Be cause they have less voluntary health insurance than the wage earning segment, the aged, with lower-than-average incomes, have to rely on their own resources and help from relatives and philanthropy. This situation has led to general recognition that more public money is required if adequate medical care for the elderly is to be provided in future as medical costs continue to rise faster than the income of the aged. Proposals for meeting these health needs include: (1) Reliance on the spread of voluntary health insurance and OAA medical care and MAA; (2) Development of federal-state subsidy to volun tary insurance for all or part of premium costs for low-income aged; (3) Levying an additional social security tax to provide health benefits for OASDI beneficiaries with costs paid by presently employed workers and employers. The solution will be a political compromise influenced by the significance attached to these arguments.