Medication Literacy Series: Drug Formularies
This fact sheet highlights the essential components of drug formularies and considers the challenges that older adults face when responding to the impacts and implications of formularies annually and throughout the plan year. Read.
Trends in Retail Prices of Generic Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2020
The findings of this report highlight the pricing dynamics in the generic drug market when compared with those in the brand name drug market. Read.
Prices for Top Medicare Part D Drugs Have More Than Tripled Since Entering the Market
This Spotlight report finds that list prices for 25 top Medicare Part D drugs have increased by an average of 226 percent—or more than tripled—since they first entered the market, greatly exceeding the corresponding rate of general inflation. Read.
9.4 Million Adults Ages 50 and Older Faced Food Insecurity in 2021
Over 9 million Americans ages 50 and older (about eight percent) were food insecure in 2021, meaning they had limited or uncertain access to adequate, nutritious food. Read.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Remain in Health Insurance Coverage Among Adults Ages 50 to 64
This report includes national data on racial and ethnic disparities in coverage and access among older adults, from 2012 (two years prior to the implementation of the ACA) through 2021, the eighth full year of Marketplace operations. Read.
Medication Literacy Series: Medication Management
This Fact Sheet explores the range of formal medication management programs that are available and the challenges that older adults, especially those with limited medication literacy and their family caregivers face when trying to manage their medications. Read.
Improving SNAP Uptake Among Eligible Older Adults: Federal Policy Options to Simplify and Streamline Administrative Processes
This paper proposes four federal policy options that build on documented successful efforts to improve SNAP access and participation among eligible older adults. Read.
Health Care Coverage, Affordability, and Access Among Rural and Urban Adults Ages 50 to 64
This analysis examines rural–urban differences in health care coverage, affordability, and access over time from 2012, two years prior to implementation of the ACA, through 2019, the sixth full year of ACA Marketplace operations. Read.
Resumption of Medicaid Eligibility Reassessments: Over 1 Million Enrollees Ages 50 to 64 Could Lose Their Benefits
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, state Medicaid programs typically reassessed enrollees’ eligibility at least once a year and would disenroll them if they no longer qualified. The pandemic put that practice on hold, leading to record high Medicaid enrollment and record low levels of uninsured Americans. Read
Medicare Beneficiaries’ Out-of-Pocket Spending for Health Care
This report uses available data to detail actual health care spending by people enrolled in traditional Medicare and shows how large the financial burden of health care is for this group of Medicare beneficiaries based on costs relative to income. Read
Improving Medicare Advantage Payment Policy While Focusing on Implications for Consumers
This report identifies the key features of the complex Medicare Advantage (MA) payment system that contribute to its higher costs to the Medicare program. Read
Underused Medicare Savings Programs Can Help Many More Older Adults Afford Health Care
Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs) help low-income older adults pay Medicare premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. However, historically, MSP enrollment has been low, despite efforts over the years to increase participation. Read
Medication Literacy Series: Generic Drugs
This fact sheet reviews some potential barriers that older adults face when accessing generic drugs, the lower-cost versions of brand-name drugs that enter the market after a brand-name drug’s monopoly period ends. Read
Medication Literacy Series: Prescription Drug Container Labels
Standardized, consumer-centered improvements to the style, organization and content of prescription drug container labels may help consumers manage their medications and, importantly, reduce medication errors. Read
State Biosimilar Substitution Laws Could Reduce Consumer Access and Savings
Consumers facing high costs for prescription drugs can see substantial savings when they switch from a brand-name drug to a generic equivalent, but this option is not yet widely available for biologic drugs. This fact sheet examines biosimilar substitution laws in each state that may be affecting consumer access. Read
Influenza, Pneumonia, and Shingles Vaccinations Rise among Older Adults, but Disparities Continue
This Fact Sheet examines the prevalence of influenza, pneumonia, and shingles vaccinations among adults ages 50 and older in 2020. Vaccinations for all three diseases increased from 2019, yet racial and ethnic disparities continue. Read
Utilization Management for Prescription Drugs Commonly Used by Older Adults: Wide State Variation Among Top Marketplace Plans
This Fact Sheet examines prescription drug utilization management (UM) among the top 10 marketplace plans in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and finds considerable variation among states in UM for prescription drugs commonly used by adults 50 to 64. Read
Boosting SNAP Participation Among Older Adults to Reduce Food Insecurity
A series of three AARP Public Policy Institute and Mathematica Spotlight reports analyze SNAP participation among older adults and the policies that affect it. Read
Trends in Utilization Management of Prescription Drugs in Top Marketplace Plans
This paper discusses and examines utilization management (UM) trends in top 10 marketplace prescription drug plans between 2016 and 2020. Read
Over 9 Million Adults Ages 50 and Older Faced Food Insecurity in 2020
This fact sheet describes trends in food insecurity and selected characteristics of food-insecure adults ages 50 and older. State-level data are included in the appendix. Read
Medication Literacy: A Helpful Concept for Understanding Medication Decision Making among Older Adults
While health literacy is widely understood as a quality measure of health care decision making, another related measure calls for increased attention, particularly regarding older adults: medication literacy. Read
Millions of Adults Ages 50 and Older Rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
This fact sheet describes selected characteristics of adults ages 50 and older who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the benefits their households receive. The paper includes analysis of SNAP participants ages 50 to 59 as well as those ages 60 and older, and state-level data is included in the appendices. Read
Home and Community-Based Services for Older Adults
In light of COVID-19’s devastating impact on nursing homes and other institutional care settings, more and more older adults with long-term care needs and their families are interested in home and community-based care options. This new AARP primer provides the latest data and information on HCBS, including what it encompasses, who the users and providers are, how it is financed, and several delivery models and policy solutions that states could expand to improve and expand access to these services. Read
Rural–Urban Health Disparities among US Adults Ages 50 and Older
This AARP fact sheet analyzes indicators of health care access, health-related behaviors, and health conditions among the 50 and older age group living in rural and urban areas. The analysis also explores racial and ethnic differences in health among older adults living in rural and urban areas to assess whether health disparities by racial and ethnicity are exacerbated by residence in a rural area. Read
An Opportunity to Improve Nursing Facility Immunization Programs
This report examines the pre-pandemic immunization environment in nursing facilities, explores how facilities administered immunization during different periods of the pandemic, and highlights issues that states and facilities should consider as they evaluate whether and how their immunization programs can be modified or improved. Read
Trends in Retail Prices of Specialty Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2020
The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail prices for widely used specialty prescription drugs increased by an average of 4.8 percent between in 2020, more than three-and-a-half times faster than inflation. Read
Estimating Impacts of Pandemic-Related Job Loss on Health Insurance Coverage among Adults Ages 50 to 64 During the First Year of COVID-19
New analysis examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health insurance coverage for older adults ages 50 to 64. Read
Novel Anticoagulants Achieve Rapid Market Penetration despite Higher Costs
This paper focuses on the rapid market penetration of a novel therapeutic option for stroke prevention among patients with atrial fibrillation. The observed widespread shift in prescribing practices led to substantial increases in spending, as the new products were approximately 20 times more expensive than comparable existing products. Read
Concurrent Anticholinergic and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitor Drug Use Among Older Adults with Dementia: Commonly Done; Never Advised
This study was designed to determine if anticholinergic use among older adults with dementia taking AChEI puts them at higher risk for adverse outcomes and concludes that it does. Older adults with dementia who had concomitant anticholinergic and AChEI use were 18 percent more likely to experience a fall, 16 percent more likely to have a fracture, and 25 percent more likely to have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) than those taking AChEI alone. Read
Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Brand Name Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2006 to 2020
The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail price increases for widely used brand name prescription drugs consistently exceeded the rate of general inflation between 2006 and 2020. Read
Drug Price Increases That Exceed Inflation Are Costing Medicare Part D Billions
This AARP Public Policy Institute Spotlight finds that Medicare Part D is spending billions on drug prices that are increasing faster than inflation. Read
The COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout: How the Current Vaccine Environment Could Impact Uptake among Adults 50 and Older
This report examines the current vaccine landscape and explores how key factors— including unfavorable attitudes toward vaccines and vaccination access and infrastructure—may limit the number of adults ages 50 and older receiving COVID-19 vaccines. Read
Vaccine Hesitancy among Older Adults, with Implications for COVID-19 Vaccination and Beyond
This report explores vaccine hesitancy among older adults, the attitudes that drive vaccine hesitancy, and the relationship between hesitancy toward the influenza vaccine and hesitancy toward COVID-19 vaccines. Read
Influenza Vaccinations among Adults 50 and Older: Slow Progress over the Past Decade
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a real urgency to get more people vaccinated against the flu this year. But older adults, who are most at risk of serious illness and death from both COVID-19 and seasonal flu, are, in an effort to avoid the coronavirus, skipping opportunities to get their annual influenza vaccine. Read
Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans, 2017 Year-End Update
Retail prices for widely used prescription drugs increased by an average of 4.2 percent in 2017. In contrast, the general inflation rate was 2.1 percent over the same period. Read
Annual Wellness Visits among Medicare Advantage Enrollees
Trends, Differences by Race and Ethnicity, and Association with Preventive Service Use. Read
Specialty Drugs in Breast Cancer: Health Care Utilization and Costs in the First Year after Diagnosis
This Spotlight is based on an analysis of administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. In our sample of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries ages 50 and older with breast cancer, the health care costs in the first year after diagnosis averaged $120,000. Read
The Facts about Prediabetes and Older Americans
Nearly half of US adults ages 65 and older – more than 23 million people -- have prediabetes—blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Nine out of 10 people with prediabetes do not even know they have the condition, and many do not realize that prediabetes is a serious health concern that increases risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Read
Reducing Potential Overuse of Dementia Drugs Could Lead to Considerable Savings
Dementia medications typically provide modest, short-term benefits and therefore are not intended for long-term use. Nevertheless, findings from a new AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) report indicate that some adults with dementia remained on these drugs for as long as a decade, increasing the potential for adverse health outcomes and costing nearly $20,000. Read
Using Telehealth to Improve Home-Based Care for Older Adults and Family Caregivers
This paper describes the consumer perspective on the value of telehealth and the current policy concerns with this avenue of health care delivery. This consumer perspective is provided by AARP’s Public Policy Institute on behalf of older adults and their family caregivers. Read
Off-Label Antipsychotic Use in Older Adults with Dementia: Not Just a Nursing Home Problem
This Spotlight is based on an analysis of administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. In our sample of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries ages 65 and older with dementia living in the community, antipsychotic (AP) use increased by 6% between 2012 and 2015, from 12.6% to 13.4%. Read
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Provides Benefits for Millions of Adults Ages 50 and Older
This fact sheet provides an overview of the SNAP program’s eligibility criteria and provides state-level data on benefits, household composition, and participation for SNAP households with older adults. Read
How Big is the Problem of Low-Value Health Care Service Use?
This Spotlight describes the use of low-value health care services by private plan enrollees age 50+. Read
Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans: 2006 to 2015
The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail prices for widely used prescription drugs increased, on average, between 2006 and 2015. In 2015, retail prices for 768 brand name, generic, and specialty prescription drugs widely used by Medicare beneficiaries increased by an average of 6.4 percent. In contrast, the general inflation rate was 0.1 percent over the same period. Read
Medicare Spends More on Socially Isolated Older Adults
Studies have shown that socially isolated older adults are at greater risk for poor health and death than their well-connected counterparts. Now a new study—the first to examine whether social isolation also affects health care spending among older adults—finds that a lack of social contacts among older adults is associated with an estimated $6.7 billion in additional Medicare spending annually. Read
Implantable Medical Devices: A closer look at issues related to regulatory oversight and cost
Implantable devices, like cardiac pacemakers and artificial hips, are a central part of medical treatment today. As the population has aged and technology has advanced, the range of implantable devices and the number that are being inserted in people have increased dramatically. As a result, AARP’s Public Policy Institute is taking a closer look at issues related to the regulatory oversight and cost of these devices. Read
Prescription Drug Abuse among Older Adults
Prescription drug abuse is a serious and growing public health problem, and older adults are not immune to the growing problem. This Insight on the Issues examines age-related differences in prescription drug misuse, describes various challenges unique to the older population and offers broad recommendations to address those challenges. Read
Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Specialty Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans: 2006 to 2015
The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen W. Schondelmeyer finds that retail prices for widely used specialty prescription drugs increased, on average, between 2006 and 2015. In 2015, retail prices for 101 widely used specialty prescription drugs increased by an average of 9.6 percent—the highest average annual increase since at least 2006. Read
Should Race and Ethnicity Be Factored into Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines?
This spotlight is based on an analysis of administrative claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. We found substantial racial and ethnic differences in PSA screening and prostate cancer diagnoses between 2009 and 2014. Read
Disparities in Diabetes Prevalence Among Older Adults
While diabetes affects Americans of all ages, older adults are disproportionately affected. In a recent analysis, we found that 23 percent of Americans ages 65 and older in 2015 reported having been diagnosed with diabetes (Table 1). The stark racial and ethnic disparities in diabetes prevalence among older adults are particularly concerning—about 20 percent of whites reported a diabetes diagnosis, compared to 35 percent of both blacks and Hispanics. Read
Rx Price Watch Report: Trends in Retail Prices of Brand Name Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans: 2006 to 2015
The latest Rx Price Watch report by Leigh Purvis and Dr. Stephen Schondelmeyer finds that retail prices for widely used brand name prescription drugs increased substantially faster than general inflation between 2006 and 2015, and that the difference between the rate of brand name drug price increases and the rate of general inflation has been widening. Read
Few Hip Fracture Patients Receive Osteoporosis Care
This spotlight is based on an analysis of insurance claims data from the OptumLabs Data Warehouse. We found that surprisingly few women are evaluated or treated for osteoporosis following hip fractures, and these missed opportunities may leave some patients at increased risk for subsequent fractures. Read
Share of the Population 85+, in 2015 and 2050, by State
How many people are age 85-plus in your state, and how much is this population projected to grow? Find out here: Read
Taking a Closer Look at American Indians and Alaska Natives Ages 50 and Older
This report outlines the demographics of this growing cohort and concludes with recommendations for coordinating programmatic resources to better serve it. Read
Hospital Readmission Rates Falling Among Older Adults Receiving Joint Replacements
Rates of unplanned hospital readmissions following elective hip and knee replacement procedures fell markedly among the 50- to 84-year-old population between 2009 and 2013. Read
