Statistics

Health Insurance Coverage

In 2005, almost all (95%) non-institutionalized persons 65+ were covered by Medicare. Medicare covers mostly acute care services and requires beneficiaries to pay part of the cost, leaving about half of health spending to be covered by other sources. About 59% had some type of private health insurance. Over 7% had military-based health insurance and 9% of the non-institutionalized elderly were covered by Medicaid. Only 1% did not have coverage of some kind. About 87% of non-institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries in 2004 had some type of supplementary coverage. However, among Medicare beneficiaries residing in nursing homes, almost 58% were covered by Medicaid in 2001.

Figure 8: 

Note: Figure 8 data is for the non-institutionalized elderly. A person can be represented in more than one category. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Annual Social and Economic Supplement. Based on Detailed Tables on Health Insurance Coverage, U.S. Bureau of the Census web site. Medicare beneficiary data is from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey)

Back to Previous | Main | Next

AoA - Statistics - A Profile of Older Americans 2006 - Disability and Activity Limitations