Making It Last: Economic Resources of the Oldest Old
- 13 August 1992
- book chapter
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP)
Abstract
Congress increasingly is considering proposals to shift more of Medicare costs to the elderly themselves. Public policy proposals aimed at shifting costs to elderly beneficiaries, such as the ill-fated Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988, have often ignored age variations in the economic resources of the elderly. The oldest old are treated just like the newly retired, regardless of differences that may exist in their ability to bear these costs. Yet, as the oldest old population grows in size and prominence, public policy will need to become more sensitive to their unique conditions. This chapter addresses the question of whether the economic resources of the oldest old are sufficiently different to justify more age-specific public policy.This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: