Objective:

To identify the leading health care concerns among older US adults.

Approach:

• Survey Methodology: A nationally representative survey of 2,576 adults aged 50 to 101 years was conducted from February to March 2024, using the National Poll on Healthy Aging.
• Demographic Analysis: The study analyzed concern levels across various demographic groups, including age, gender, political ideology, and geographic location.

Key Findings:

• 56.2% of adults aged 50 years or older were very concerned about medical care costs.
• 54.3% expressed significant concern about prescription medication costs.
• 56.3% were very concerned about the cost of home care, assisted living, and nursing home care.
• 52.8% reported high concern about financial scams and fraud.
• Notable demographic differences were observed in concern levels: 59.6% of adults aged 50 to 64 years were concerned about medical care costs compared to 53.4% of those 65 years or older; women (59.3%) reported higher concern than men (54.1%); liberals (68.2%) were more concerned than moderates (56.4%) and conservatives (51.4%); and nonmetropolitan respondents (61.7%) expressed greater concern than metropolitan respondents (55.9%).

Interpretation:

Economic issues related to health and aging are significant for older voters, with variations in concerns based on demographic factors.

Limitations:

• Lack of data on personal health concerns and non-health issues influencing older voters' preferences.
• Findings may not fully capture all aspects of older adults' health care concerns.

Conclusion:

The study provides insights into the health care affordability and access concerns of older adults.

Sources:

• JAMA