The Economic Status of the Oldest Old

Proposals to shift more of Medicare’s costs to beneficiaries raise the question of whether the oldest old-the heaviest users-have the resources to bear these costs. Information on cash income, assets, other economic resources, and in-kind benefits provides an assessment of the economic status of the very old. When all factors and adjustments are considered, the oldest old, as a group, are shown to have substantially lower economic status than the young old.

Author(s): G. Lawrence Atkins

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Volume 63, Issue 2 (pages 395–419)
Published in 1985