Medicare Blog

what does the future hold for the medicare system aging population

by Domenico Bartoletti PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Between 2010 and 2050, the United States population ages 65 and older will nearly double, the population ages 80 and older will nearly triple, and the number of nonagenarians and centenarians—people in their 90s and 100s—will quadruple. 1 The aging of the population has important implications for future Medicare spending because beneficiaries ages 80 and older account for a disproportionate share of Medicare expenditures.

It is estimated that about 72.1 million older persons will make up the 65 plus age bracket by 2030. With a rising aging population comes a growing demand for special care facilities. Living longer means that diseases become long-term and chronic, and services are more expensive as people spend more time in facilities.Jan 17, 2012

Full Answer

How does age affect Medicare spending?

As the U.S. population ages, the increase in the number of people on Medicare and the aging of the Medicare population are expected to increase both total and per capita Medicare spending. The increase in per capita spending by age not only affects Medicare, but other payers as well.

What does the future hold for senior care?

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR SENIOR CARE? Senior care is an important step in both a senior’s life and the life of a senior’s family. An elder entering assisted care can opt for varying forms of assistance depending on factors such as level of care needed for his or her age, illness, and mobility.

What drives annual growth in Medicare spending?

Annual growth in Medicare spending is largely influenced by the same factors that affect health spending in general: increasing prices of health care services, increasing volume and utilization of services, and new technologies.

How will population aging affect health care spending?

According to the Congressional Budget Office, population aging is expected to account for a larger share of spending growth on the nation’s major health care programs through 2039 than either “excess spending growth” or subsidies for the coverage expansions provided under the Affordable Care Act. 2

How does the aging population affect Medicare?

Because of the rising life expectancy, higher prevalence of chronic conditions, and increasing medical costs, total lifetime Medicare spending for a typical 65-year-old beneficiary will increase 72 percent to $223,000 by 2030.

What is the future of elder care?

The 80+ population is projected to increase by 79% by 2030. In 2010, there were seven potential caregivers for every person in the high-risk 80+ years. By 2050, there will be only three potential caregivers for every senior in need of care.

What is most prevalent health problem of persons over the age of 65?

Heart Disease According to the CDC, heart disease remains the leading killer of adults over age 65, accounting for 489,722 deaths in 2014. As a chronic condition, heart disease affects 37 percent of men and 26 percent of women 65 and older, according to the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.

How many people are aging with Medicare?

Medicare covers 55 million Americans, about 17 percent of the U.S. population. Its beneficiaries are the nation's oldest, sickest, and most disabled citizens. Three-quarters of them have one or more chronic conditions, and one-quarter rate their health as fair or poor.

What will long term care be like in 2040?

The need for long-term care services is expected to dramatically increase over the coming decades, as the senior population is expected to nearly double. In 2000, Americans age 65 or older made up only 12 percent of the national population, but by 2040, it is expected that seniors will comprise about 22 percent.

What trends you think are likely to affect assisted living in the future?

Design Trends Elements that change senior housing are restaurant style dining, new technology, social environments, lifelong learning and community engagement and integration; blending into independent living, skilled nursing and hospice.

What are the biggest problems facing the elderly today?

The US elderly experience several health problems, including arthritis, high blood pressure, heart disease, hearing loss, vision problems, diabetes, and dementia. Nursing home care in the United States is very expensive and often substandard; neglect and abuse of nursing home residents is fairly common.

What challenges do the elderly face today?

This article outlines the biggest challenges that elderly people face today and how we can support them and enable them to age with dignity.Ageism and a lost sense of purpose. ... Financial insecurity. ... Difficulty with everyday tasks and mobility. ... Finding the right care provision. ... Access to healthcare services.More items...•

What are some of the common problems associated with the process of Ageing?

Common conditions in older age include hearing loss, cataracts and refractive errors, back and neck pain and osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, depression and dementia. As people age, they are more likely to experience several conditions at the same time.

What is the expected growth of Medicare beneficiaries by 2030?

Medicare: Medicare spending growth is projected to average 7.2% over 2021-2030, the fastest rate among the major payers.

Why is Medicare important to the elderly?

Medicare coverage is especially important to low-income elderly people because they are in poorer health than higher income elderly people and have few financial assets to draw on when faced with high medical costs.

How many Medicare beneficiaries will there be in 2030?

80 million beneficiariesThe Medicare population is projected to increase from 54 million beneficiaries today to over 80 million beneficiaries by 2030 as the baby-boom generation ages into Medicare. This expansion will bring changes to the Medicare population.

What is the next wave of Medicare enrollees?

Many researchers describe two groups within the Baby Boomer generation: "leading edge" and "trailing edge.". Trailing-edge Boomers are the next wave of Medicare enrollees, while leading-edge Boomers have mostly aged into the program already.

How many baby boomers will be on Medicare?

Approximately 26 million Baby Boomers will age into Medicare through 2030. This next wave of Medicare enrollees referred to as “trailing edge” is different from “leading-edge” Boomers, many of whom have already enrolled in Medicare.

Is Medicare Advantage more likely to be a MA?

While they might be more likely to select Medicare Advantage (MA) products, as they typically have extensive experience with employer coverage, networks, benefit designs, and health plans that offer MA products, health plans should consider how this next wave differs from the last in order to capture future Medicare market share.

Do trailing edge boomers have diabetes?

Many trailing-edge Boomers have higher rates of diabetes and obesity than their older peers. However, evidence suggests that many have better control of their health conditions, and may have some healthier habits than their older peers (e.g., lower smoking rates).

What is the role of Medicare in the future?

Medicare plays a central role in broader discussions about the future of entitlement programs. Together, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security account for more than 40 percent of the federal budget.

How does Medicare affect spending?

Annual growth in Medicare spending is largely influenced by the same factors that affect health spending in general: increasing prices of health care services, increasing volume and utilization of services, and new technologies. In the past, provider payment reforms, such as the hospital prospective payment system, ...

What is Medicare Advantage?

Medicare beneficiaries have the option to get their benefits through the traditional fee-for-service (FFS) program – sometimes called Original Medicare – or through private health plans, such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) – currently called Medicare Advantage.

What is the source of Medicare funding?

Medicare funding comes primarily from three sources: payroll tax revenues, general revenues, and premiums paid by beneficiaries.

What is Medicare and Social Security?

Like Social Security, Medicare is a social insurance program that provides health coverage to individuals, without regard to their income or health status.

Why is Medicare facing a challenge?

Financing care for future generations is perhaps the greatest challenge facing Medicare, due to sustained increases in health care costs, the aging of the U.S. population, and the declining ratio of workers to beneficiaries. Annual increases in health care costs are placing upward pressure on Medicare spending, as for other payers.

What are the goals of Medicare?

Achieving a reasonable balance among multiple goals for the Medicare program—including keeping Medicare fiscally strong, setting adequate payments to private plans, and meeting beneficiaries’ health care needs —will be critical issues for policymakers in the near future.

When was Medicare enacted?

Americans are growing older and living a great deal longer in retirement. When Medicare was enacted 50 years ago , the law retained Social Security’s age of eligibility at 65 years, set in 1935.

How much is Medicare spending cut?

The ACA’s scheduled Medicare payment cuts and program changes amount to $802 billion over the next 10 years, and Administration officials are hoping that these efforts, combined with the ACA’s implementation of new delivery and Medicare payment reforms, will ensure a continued slowdown in Medicare spending.

How much did Medicare increase in 1966?

Over the past 50 years, big Medicare cost increases have been a recurrent problem. In 1966, the first year of Medicare’s operation, hospital expenditures jumped 20 percent, and the growth in physician fees jumped from 3.8 percent in 1965 to 7.8 percent in 1966. [56] .

What is the CMS?

When the Bush Administration took office in 2001, it retained the agency’s regulatory mission but gave the Medicare bureaucracy a more attractive and more customer-friendly name: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

How many parts does Medicare have?

Medicare has evolved in fits and starts over the past 50 years. Today, it is organized into four parts that reflect four distinct sets of benefit offerings. Each part is designed differently, governed by a different set of rules, and funded by separate revenue streams and beneficiary financing. Payments on behalf of recipients, however, have a permanent, indefinite appropriation, meaning that they do not require annual congressional appropriations.

What is the Great Medicare Challenge?

The Great Medicare Challenge. 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the enactment of Medicare, the huge federal health program that serves senior and disabled citizens. [1] . To preserve the program for future retirees, Congress and the new Administration must solve its recurrent problems and improve its performance.

When was Medicare Part C created?

In the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 , Congress created the Medicare+Choice program, Medicare Part C, an updated effort to offer seniors private health plan alternatives. Hit with a deadly combination of payment caps and regulatory overkill, however, health plan participation plummeted, and the effort failed.

What percentage of the population will be seniors by 2030?

By 2030, seniors are expected to take up over 20 percent of the population, according to the U.S Census Bureau. That number (about 20 percent) remains the same for the year 2050, ...

How much will Medicare cost in 2027?

In fact, it’s been found that the government will spend $1.16 trillion on Medicare in 2027, almost double what it spent in 2016. Because of this, senior care will have to develop quickly. In just the next 30 years, the industry’s users could potentially increase 10-fold.

Why is CBSS becoming more popular?

Options like CBSS are becoming more popular because they help seniors age better . A study called “ The 2030 Problem: Caring for Aging Baby Boomers ” highlighted the need for developing an affordable community-based system for seniors.

How many seniors are there in the US?

Seniors take up about 13 percent of the population, meaning there are about 42 million seniors living in America today. The Institute on Aging reports that 65 percent of elders get their long-term care and needs exclusively from family and friends, meaning just 35 percent of elders who need long-term care take part in some sort of senior care, ...

How many seniors live in isolation?

More than 11 million seniors live in isolation, with the CDC reporting that 30 percent of elders 65 and up live alone. Isolation can have dire effects on seniors’ mental and physical state, so the more included they are in a society, the better.

What age group is the baby boomer generation?

This is mostly thanks to the baby boomer generation, the group of adults born between 1946 and 1964. In 2017, more than half of the generation aren’t technically seniors yet, meaning it’s not very likely they need help with some form of assisted living.

How many senior housing facilities will be needed by 2040?

It’s been reported that the U.S. will need almost two million more housing facilities by 2040 to provide living space for seniors who need care. There’s also been a general rise in building senior care facilities since 2010, with most facilities having over 90 percent occupancy at all times.

How does Medicare get its money?

For some background, Medicare sources its funding from two trust funds. One is the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, composed of funding from payroll taxes and covers Part A hospitalization costs. The Supplemental Medical Insurance trust is funded through premiums and government funding, and covers Medicare Part B (medical) and D (prescription drugs.)

What is Social Security pay as you go?

For brief background, social security is essentially “pay as you go retirement”; you contribute through wages and receive a share of your accrued benefits once you retire. That share is going to be significantly reduced in retirement due to rising healthcare costs and lower wage contribution.

What is the future of aging?

The future of aging. In a future of health focused on preventing disease, aging may no longer be defined by disease, but, rather, extended vitality. This shift could have far-reaching implications. What IMPA C T might the expansion of health span—the amount of time that one is healthy in life—have on society?

What is the future of health?

The future of health. The health industry is on the cusp of a major transformation that will affect all stakeholders. Incumbent players can either lead this transformation as innovative and well-connected market leaders or they can try to resist this inevitable change.

How can companies shift their focus to health and well-being while also capitalizing on changing attitudes around aging?

How can companies shift their focus to health and well-being while also capitalizing on changing attitudes around aging? For one, they may have to adopt emerging technology, which can allow data to be continuously gathered, stored by multiple owners, and selectively made available to generate real-time insights needed for personalized, always-on decision-making. Companies should also forge new partnerships by looking beyond health care to understand how other industries support individuals as they age. Many financial services and long-term care insurers, for example, understand a very different set of needs that has not been a major focus for health care organizations. Moreover, they should go beyond health to understand how basic needs, such as access to the internet or the ability to make mortgage payments, are critical building blocks to “treating” the entire person. As these shifts occur, life sciences and health care organizations will likely see new roles and opportunities emerge to meet the demands of consumers.

What will happen in 2040?

The onset of disease, in some cases, could be delayed or eliminated altogether—cancer and diabetes could join polio as defeated diseases.

Is aging defined by disease?

In a future of health focused on preventing disease, aging may no longer be defined by disease, but, rather, extended vitality. This shift could have far-reaching implications. What IMPA C T might the expansion of health span—the amount of time that one is healthy in life—have on society?

Is health care better than the 1900s?

Health care has been so successful at treating disease that we have more people living with chronic disease today than ever before. 3 Compared to the early 1900s, health care today is much better at extending life span after the diagnosis of a disease. But this phenomenon is relatively recent.

Is longevity added to the end of life?

While longevity has increased in the last century, the years we have gained were not added to the end of life. Instead, says Dr. Laura Carstensen at the Stanford Center on Longevity, those “extra” years have been added to the middle of life. 1 Still, today the average health span (age 63) stops more than a decade short of the average life span (age 79). 2 But a future more focused on maintaining health and well-being, supported by radically interoperable data on health and lifestyle, could extend that time further.

Why is the analysis focusing on Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 rather than younger adults who qualify for Medicare?

The analysis focuses on Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 rather than younger adults who qualify for Medicare because of a permanent disability to develop a better understanding of the relationship between Medicare spending and advancing age. This study examines patterns of Medicare spending among beneficiaries in traditional Medicare rather ...

When did Medicare per capita increase?

Between 2000 and 2011, Medicare per capita spending grew faster for beneficiaries ages 90 and older than for younger beneficiaries over age 65, both including and excluding spending on the Part D prescription drug benefit beginning in 2006.

What percentage of Medicare beneficiaries were enrolled in 2011?

Because we lack comparable data for the 25 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage in 2011, it is not possible to assess whether patterns of service use and spending in traditional Medicare apply to the Medicare population overall. More information about the data, methods, and limitations can be found in the Methodology.

How much did Medicare spend in 2011?

Average Medicare per capita spending in 2011 more than doubled between age 70 ($7,566) and age 96 ($16,145). The increase in Medicare per capita spending as beneficiaries age can be partially, but not completely, explained by the high cost of end-of-life care.

Is Medicare spending data available for all people?

The analysis excludes beneficiaries who are age 65 because some of these beneficiaries are enrolled for less than a full year; therefore, a full year of Medicare spending data is not available for all people at this year of age. The analysis focuses on Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 rather than younger adults who qualify for Medicare because ...

Will population aging affect health care?

According to the Congressional Budget Office, population aging is expected to account for a larger share of spending growth on the nation’s major health care programs through 2039 than either “excess spending growth” or subsidies for the coverage expansions provided under the Affordable Care Act. 2. To inform discussions about Medicare’s role in ...

Does Medicare increase as you age?

As the U.S. population ages, the increase in the number of people on Medicare and the aging of the Medicare population are expected to increase both total and per capita Medicare spending. The increase in per capita spending by age not only affects Medicare, but other payers as well.

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