Do Older Adults Experience Health Care Challenges?

 By Johanna Flores, Dorian Guerrero, Jonathan Suh and Lissell Cabrera

We are Master of Social Work students at Cal State University, Long Beach. We are submitting a newsworthy paper that was created in SW 605 (Advanced Social Policy Analysis and Advocacy Practices). We feel this paper would be informational for social work professionals for possible publishing.

Despite the fact that the Medicare system is working effectively (KFF, 2013), several older adults reported increased challenges regarding health care affordability and access to primary care (Stokes, 2014). About 19 percent of Americans ages 65 and older reported having medical issues, but did not access medical care due to financial struggles (Stokes, 2014).

For instance, 11 percent of American older adults are unable to afford medical expenses, which include out-of-pocket costs (Stokes, 2014). It is estimated that as a result 14.6 percent of older adults presently live in privation (Wedmedyk, 2015).

To put this in perspective, older adults living in countries with government-funded health insurance programs, such as Canada (9 percent), England (5 percent), and France (3 percent), reported less issues with affording medical care because of cost constraints (Stokes, 2014).

Thus, when providing health care billed through Medicare, it is important to consider affordability and access to primary care, specifically among older adult populations.