As the 2024 elections approach, a new analysis of a University of Michigan poll highlights the primary health-related concerns of potential voters. The study reveals that health care costs are the top concern among older adults, despite recent efforts to reduce these costs, particularly related to prescription drugs in Medicare.
Dr. John Z. Ayanian, a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan and the lead author of the study, emphasized the importance of addressing these concerns. He stated that candidates for the presidency and Congress should focus on communicating their plans for controlling health care costs to meet the needs of older voters.
The analysis found that over half of older adults, spanning various demographic groups and political affiliations, expressed significant concerns about the costs of medical care and prescription drugs. With more than half of the 2020 election ballots cast by voters aged 50 and above, understanding and addressing these concerns is crucial for policymakers.
The National Poll on Healthy Aging, which was released in July, underscores the urgency of addressing health care costs as a key issue for older adults. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, received support from organizations such as the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Conservatives Are Less Concerned About Costs
The analysis also delved into how individuals with different political leanings viewed health care costs. The survey of over 2,500 participants revealed that liberal and moderate individuals expressed more concern about health care costs compared to conservative individuals.
While the majority of self-reported liberals were very concerned about the cost of medical care and prescription drugs for older adults, conservative participants showed slightly lower levels of concern. Additionally, participants highlighted worries about health care financial scams and fraud.
Women were more likely than men to be concerned about health care costs, and after adjusting for demographic factors, black individuals expressed the highest level of concern, followed by Hispanics and then white individuals.
Top 10 Health-Related Concerns
The study presented seniors with a list of 26 health-related concerns to gauge their level of worry. The top concerns among older adults included the cost of medical care, home care, assisted living, or nursing home care. Participants also expressed significant concerns about the cost of prescription medications, health care financial scams, and the cost of health insurance and Medicare.
The top 10 health-related concerns identified in the survey were as follows:
- Cost of home care, assisted living, or nursing home care
- Cost of medical care
- Cost of prescription medications
- Financial scams and fraud
- Cost of health insurance/Medicare
- Cost of dental care
- Access to quality home care, assisted living, or nursing home care
- Health care quality
- Inaccurate or misleading health information
- Access to affordable healthy foods
Other concerns mentioned by participants included poverty, isolation, neighborhood safety, and age discrimination.
Poll Showed Older People Undergoing Financial Stress
The original poll revealed that nearly half of older adults felt the impact of inflation over the past year. Many respondents had to reduce their spending on everyday expenses, such as social activities, personal items, groceries, and home maintenance.
Financial strain also affected seniors’ access to health care services, prescription drugs, and health insurance. Some individuals reported delaying or forgoing necessary health care treatments due to financial constraints.
Despite living on fixed incomes, seniors aged 65 and above experienced less financial strain compared to those aged 50 to 64. The study underlines the interconnectedness of financial challenges and health outcomes among older adults, emphasizing the need for support and education to mitigate these risks.
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