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Opinions About Health Care and Prescription Drug Coverage Among 50-64 Year Olds

by Linda L. Barrett, Ph.D., AARP Knowledge Management, AARP Research, May 2006

This and Related Reports

As the first wave of baby boomers reaches age 60 in 2006, they are poised to become a potent force in shaping our views on health care and prescription drug coverage. Of the nationally representative sample of 1,500 people between the ages of 50 and 64 in the continental United States who were surveyed for this study…

  • 42 percent expect to retire after – and 41 percent before – age 65
  • 89 percent say they are covered by some form of health insurance, with 42 percent of those covered citing employers or unions as the source
  • 83 percent currently have insurance coverage for prescription drugs, 44 percent of which is provided by either employers or unions
  • 43 percent work for employers offering retiree health insurance coverage while 39 percent don’t
  • 85 percent of those with employers offering retiree health insurance expect to be eligible for that coverage when they retire, and 92 percent consider this coverage extremely or very important today and in the future
  • 65 percent say paying for medications has not been a problem in the past 12 months, but it has been a major problem for 14 percent and a minor problem for 19 percent

The telephone survey was conducted by Woelfel Research between March 23rd and April 13th, 2006. Further information about the survey may be obtained by contacting Dr. Barrett, the report’s author, at 202-434-6458. (25 pages)