Senior Citizen Issues

UNDERSTANDING demographic conditions in the United States is a key element to understanding the issues facing senior citizens. An aging population has implications for the financial well-being and quality of health and social service programs, and public poli-cymaking. A Reuters 2007 article reports that recent statistics show hospital and doctor visits in the United States have surged by 20 percent in the past five years. The baby boom generation, born between 1946 and 1964, are now key users of the medical system. According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, an increase in the number of senior citizens will occur when the Baby Boom generation begins to turn 65 in 2011. Those 65 and older are projected to double from 36 million in 2003 to 72 million in 2030, and to increase from 12 percent to 20 percent of the population. By 2050, this older population is expected to reach 86.7 million. Those aged 85 and older are projected to double from 4.7 million in 2003 to 9.6 million in 2030, and to double again to 20.9 million in 2050.

Social Security and Medicare are two of the largest social welfare entitlement programs in the United States. As a result, senior citizens are considered a powerful voting bloc, and exercise enormous political power. Additionally, although young people are more likely to take part in political protesting, they are less likely to participate in conventional politics, such as voting. According to Sidney Verba and N.H. Nie in Participation in America, voting rates tend to increase as people grow older. However, as physical problems begin to set in, voter participation declines. Thomas Dye, in Politics in America, explains that senior citizens are the most politically powerful age group in the population. They make up 28 percent of the voting population. Citizens over 65 years old average a 68 percent turnout rate in presidential elections and a 61 percent rate in congressional elections. By comparison, those aged 18 to 21 have a 36 percent turnout rate in presidential elections and 19 percent in congressional elections. Senior citizens are a powerful political force and are well represented in the political environment. So much so, that the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is the largest organized national interest group. Because of the financial influence of the AARP and the large senior citizen voting bloc, politicians cannot afford to distance themselves from this group.

Medicare is an important issue to senior citizens. Medicare was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and is the U.S. version of national healthcare for the aged. It has an age requirement, but not a means-test. It is the primary source of publicly funded healthcare for the elderly.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program that provides healthcare coverage for individuals aged 65 and older. The program also covers certain persons under age 65 with disabilities. The program was authorized under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Medicare eligibility is available to individuals who fall into categories defined by either age or disability. At age 65, individuals qualify for Medicare if they or their spouses paid Social Security taxes for at least 40 calendar quarters (10 years). The Social Security Act was first passed in 1935. It is also sometimes referred to as the “third rail” of politics; touching it can cause political suicide. According to AARP (2007) figures, more than 47.5 million people receive monthly Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance benefits (OASDI). Based on an AARP report, the poverty rate for those 65 and older is 10.2 percent. Without Social Security, that rate would rise to almost 50 percent. Close to 80 percent of African Americans and 76 percent of Hispanics age 65 and older depend on Social Security for more than 50 percent of their income. Almost 75 percent of unmarried women rely on Social Security for half or more of their income.

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