Are Baby Boomers The New Health Insurance Crisis?
Americans are living longer but they’re not living healthier,
a new government study reports.
Half of Americans aged 55 – 64, the oldest of the baby
boomers, have high blood pressure and two in five are obese,
according to the study issued by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
The prevalence of these chronic medical conditions will continue
to strain an already struggling health care system as more
and more boomers enter the ailing age group. As reported in
the new findings, the 55 – 64 population is predicted
to swell by 11 million in the next decade, reaching 40 million
by 2014.
It isn’t all bad news. The country’s overall life
expectancy has also risen – up to 77.6 years from 77.3
years in 2002. Unfortunately, the prospect of an increased
life span is tainted by researchers’ projection that
more Americans may just be living with the pain and discomfort
of disease, longer.
Controlling high blood pressure and obesity is crucial for
health, according to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, particularly
for baby boomers as they grow older. “It’s time
to act against both conditions so more Americans can live longer,
healthier lives.”
Who Is Most At Risk
As boomers develop more chronic conditions they are increasingly
likely to find themselves in healthcare limbo. It’s still
too early for them to access Medicare benefits, while more
and more employers are dropping post-retirement health insurance
due to rising costs.
Says Amy Bernstein, lead author of the report, baby boomers
are "a very large and fast-growing group whose situation
now gives us a preview of what is to come. They are starting
to develop major chronic disease health problems at the same
time that employer-sponsored health care is retracting and
the cost of care is increasing."
What Boomers Can Do
55 – 64 year olds need to take an
active approach to their health now, says Dr. Julie Gerberding,
Center of Disease
Control Director. Proactive measures include monitoring
weight, cholesterol level, blood pressure, heart attack risks
and
any signs of diabetes. “The late fifties and early
sixties are a crucial time of life to focus on disease prevention.
It’s never too late to adopt a healthy lifestyle
to enjoy a longer, healthier life,” says Gerberding.
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Tips for a Healthier Future
- Get diagnosed early. Catching
a disease early on allows you to receive necessary care
when your ailment is most treatable,
significantly cutting down on health costs in the long
run.
- Take advantage of screenings. If your insurance plan
covers routine checkups and screenings don’t pass
up on them. If you don’t have insurance, check to
see if your local community health clinic offers free screenings.
- Cut
back on bad habits. You’ve heard it many times before,
but it’s true: the biggest boost you can give
your health is to cut out all the bad habits that
cause preventable diseases.
Topping the list is smoking, drinking, poor diet
and lack of exercise.
Other report findings:
- In 2002 the out-of-pocket prescribed medicine expense among adults 55–64 years of age was $425 compared
with $286 in 1997 (2002 dollars)
- Between 1988–94 and
1999–2002, the percent
of men age 55–64 years who had one or more of the cardiovascular
risk factors of obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension
increased from 64 to 72 percent
- Between 2001 and 2003
the proportion of the population under 65 years of age with
health insurance obtained through
the workplace declined from 67 to 63%. Poor and near poor
Hispanic persons were most affected.
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