AARP Research Insights on Health Care

AARP Research on health care highlights U.S. adults' experiences with and feelings about Medicare, prescription drugs, telehealth, and healthy living.

Medicare

Medicare is universally seen as important, and majorities want Congress to protect it.

• Eight in ten (82%) registered voters ages 18 and older believe it is extremely or very important for Congress to address protecting Social Security and Medicare. Nine in ten (90%) of voters ages 50 and over share that belief. [Source: U.S. Voters’ Views on Support for Family Caregiving, fielded April 2023.]
  
  
• Roughly nine in ten (88%) U.S. adults ages 45 and older said that having Medicare benefits available to them in the future is extremely or very important. [Source: Vital Voices: Issues that Impact U.S. Adults Ages 45 and Older, Chartbook, fielded October 2022.]

Uncertainty about ways to pay for long-term care services is common.

• Nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults 50-plus incorrectly believe that Medicare covers care in a nursing home or care in the home from a home health aide, with women more likely than men (52% vs. 40%) to believe it does. Additionally, adults 50–64 are more likely than those 65-plus to believe the Medicare pays for nursing home or in-home care (53% vs. 38%). [Source: Long-Term Care Readiness: An AARP Survey of Adults 50+, fielded December 2021.]

A majority of older adults believe they may need care as they ages, but few have planned for it.

• Nearly seven in ten (68%) adults ages 50 and older believe that they will need assistance with their daily activities as they get older, yet fewer than three in ten (28%) have seriously considered how they will continue to live independently if they need such assistance. [Source: Long-Term Care Readiness: An AARP Survey of Adults 50+, fielded December 2021.]

Midlife and older adults are concerned about multiple issues regarding aging.

• More than six in ten (63%) adults 50-plus are concerned that they might not be able to live independently as they age, with a similar figure (62%) expressing concern about becoming a strain or burden on family members. Slightly fewer say they are concerned about not having enough money saved (59%), needing to live in a nursing home or assisted living facility (58%), or not being able to remain in their own home (57%). Half (50%) are concerned that their friends or family members won’t be there to assist them as daily tasks become more difficult. [Source: Long-Term Care Readiness: An AARP Survey of Adults 50+, fielded December 2021.]

Health Care Affordability

The cost of health care poses challenges to many midlife and older adults, especially those ages 40–49.

• Three in 10 (31%) adults ages 40–64 have opted to skip taking a medication due to cost, with a similar percentage (29%) reporting that they have experienced an adverse event due to the cost of health care. Adults ages 40–49 are more likely than those 60–64 to say they had to borrow money from family or friends to help pay for their medical expenses (8% vs. 2%), and adults younger than 60 are more likely to report receiving an unexpected medical bill (33%, 40–49; 29%, 50–59 vs. 22%, 60-plus). [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• While the majority (61%) of adults ages 40-plus reported that cost rarely limits them when seeking medical care, those ages 40–59 were significantly more likely than those who are 60 or older to say they cost limits them always or very often (30%, 40–49; and 24%, 50–59 vs. 10%, 60–69; and 6%, 70-plus). [Source: Midlife and Older Adults Health: Coverage and Access, fielded November 2020.]
  
  
• When asked at what price an individual health insurance premium would become unaffordable, one-fifth (19%) of adults ages 40–64 said at $50 a month it would become unaffordable. [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on the perception of health care affordability: One-fifth consider health care harder to afford since the start of pandemic, with those ages 40–49 more likely than their older counterparts to say that (23% vs. 19%, 40–49; and 16%, 50–64). [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• Adults ages 40–64 have varying levels of confidence in their ability to pay an unexpected $1,000 medical bill within 30 days. Four in 10 (40%) report that they are extremely or very confident they could pay the bill and another four in 10 (38%) say they are not very or not at all confident that they could. [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]

Midlife and older adults see the importance of having adequate health insurance coverage — and making it more affordable.

• More than nine in ten (92%) U.S. adults ages 45 and over note that having adequate health insurance coverage is extremely or very important to them, while slightly fewer, 88%, say the same thing about being able to afford health care expenses such as premiums and co-pays. [Source: Vital Voices: Issues that Impact U.S. Adults Ages 45 and Older, Chartbook, fielded October 2022.]
  
  
• Four in 10 (43%) adults ages 40–64 see reducing the cost of monthly health insurance premiums as the most important affordability issue for policy makers to address, with three in 10 (31%) saying that reducing out-of-pocket costs (such as deductibles or copays) is most important. [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]

Employer-based health insurance is most common among adults ages 40–64.

• More than four in ten (43%) adults ages 40–64 have employer-based health insurance, while about one in seven (14%) have health insurance coverage through their spouse or partner’s current employer or through Medicaid. [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64: A Focus on Insurance, fielded May 24-June 9, 2022.]

Although most with health insurance are not concerned about losing it, they have issues with using it.

• Seven in 10 (68%) adults ages 40–64 with health insurance are not concerned about losing it within the next year. Yet, about one-third (36%) of women and one-quarter of men (25%) say they are concerned about losing their health insurance coverage in the next year.[Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64: A Focus on Insurance, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• When adults ages 40–64 with health insurance were asked about several issues they may have experienced with their coverage in the past year, one in five mentioned high deductibles (19%), unexpected bills (19%), and high costs (17%) [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64: A Focus on Insurance, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• Similarly, among those with health insurance, dissatisfaction is highest with their annual deductibles (30% not very or not at all satisfied) and monthly premiums (26%). Adults ages 40–49 are more likely than those ages 60 and over to say they are extremely or very dissatisfied with their annual deductibles (34% vs. 24%), their monthly premiums (28% vs. 20%), and their overall coverage (20% vs. 11%). [Source: Health Care Affordability Among Adults Ages 40–64: A Focus on Insurance, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]

Prescription Drugs

Reliance on prescription medications is high, as is concern about affordability.

• Three-quarters (77%) of U.S. voters ages 50-plus take at least one prescription medication, and more than half overall (58%) are at least somewhat concerned about affording prescription drugs for themselves or their family over the next few years. [Source: Consumer Views on Prescription Drugs Survey, fielded June 2021.]
  
  
• More than eight in ten (83%) U.S. adults ages 45 and older consider the ability to pay for their prescription drugs extremely or very important [Source: Vital Voices: Issues that Impact U.S. Adults Ages 45 and Older, Chartbook, fielded October 2022.

Prescription drug affordability touches the lives of many Americans, and more so as they age. 

• While seven in ten (70%) voters ages 50–64 in the U.S. regularly use prescriptions drugs, nearly nine in ten (86%) of those over age 65 do. [Source: Drug Prices Weigh on Older Americans, fielded June 2021.]

Everyone worries about the cost of prescription drugs, with younger adults more likely to do so.

• Three in 10 (31%) adults ages 40–64 have skipped taking a medication due to cost, with adults ages 40–49 more likely than those 60–69 to report doing so (35% vs. 24%.) [Source: Paying for Health Care, Surprise Medical Bills Worry Older Adults, fielded May 24–June 9, 2022.]
  
  
• Adults in their 40s are most likely to skip filling a prescription — two-thirds (67%) of adults ages 40–49 indicate they are priced out of getting medications at least part of the time, but that’s true of only 17% of those over 70, who would be eligible for coverage with Medicare. Overall, about half of Americans 40-plus say cost is problematic. [Source: Midlife and Older Adults’ Health Study, fielded November 2020.]
  
  
• Registered voters ages 50–64 are more likely than those ages 65 and older to express concern about being able to afford prescriptions (63% vs. 49%). [Source: Drug Prices Weigh on Older Americans, fielded June 2021.] 

Support is very high for various proposals to lower prescription drug prices.

• Nearly nine in ten (87%) registered voters ages 50-plus agree that Medicare should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies. More than three-quarters support capping the amount older adults have to pay for medications (78%), as well as preventing drug companies from charging American consumers more than they do consumers in other countries (77%). [Source: Drug Prices Weigh on Older Americans, fielded June 2021.] 

Support is consistently high across party lines for five legislative proposals focused on lowering prescription drug prices.

• Nearly nine in ten registered voters across political parties express support for allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies (Democrats, 88%; Republicans, 85%; Independents, 89%). More than three-quarters support capping the amount older adults have to pay for medications (Democrats, 80%; Republicans, 74%; Independents, 77%) or stopping drug companies for charging more in the U.S. than elsewhere (Democrats, 78%; Republicans, 75%; Independents, 77%). [Source: Drug Prices Weigh on Older Americans, fielded June 2021.] 
  
  
• Three-quarters (or slightly fewer) favor closing loopholes that allow brand-name pharmaceutical companies to charge high prices for new “copycat” drugs (74%, 75%, 76%) or penalizing drug companies that raise their prices higher than inflation (73%, 66%, 71%). [Source: Drug Prices Weigh on Older Americans, fielded June 2021.] 

Telehealth

Interest in telehealth use held steady during the pandemic.

• About one-third (32%) of U.S. adults ages 50-plus reported that they are extremely or very interested in using telehealth services for themselves or for a loved one, a figure that has been essentially the same since April 2020. [Source: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.]

Telehealth use is common, albeit with differences by age. 

• Half (51%) of adults ages 50-plus said they or a family member had used telehealth in the past two years, with those ages 50–64 more likely than those ages 65 and over to have done so (56% vs. 46%). [Source: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.]

Interest in using telehealth services varies by age, gender, and race/ethnicity. 

• Younger midlife adults — those ages 50–64 — are more likely than those ages 65 and over to say they are extremely interested in using telehealth services if needed (16% vs. 11%). 
  
  
• Women 50-plus are more likely than men (17% vs. 10%) to say they are extremely interested in using telehealth for themselves or a family member. 
  
  
• Additionally, Black, non-Hispanic adults ages 50-plus are more likely than their White non-Hispanic, and Hispanic counterparts to express the same level of interest in using telehealth (33% vs. 11% and 14%).  [Source: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.] 

Reasons for telehealth use has evolved over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, with routine doctor’s visits becoming the top reason for using telehealth services.

• In early 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, among the roughly two-thirds (68%) of respondents who expressed interest in telehealth services, more than eight in ten (85%) said they would use it to renew prescriptions. More than seven in ten noted that they would use telehealth for help in caregiving (79%), in discussing a new medical issue (76%), and for a routine visit to the doctor (74%). [Source: Views on Telehealth, fielded April 21–May 2, 2020.] 
  
  
• In early 2022, nearly seven in ten (68%) adults ages 50-plus who used telehealth services reported using them for medical appointments. More than four in ten reported using the service to renew prescriptions (47%) and discuss a new medical issue (42%), while about half as many used it for diagnosing an illness (22%) or securing care for a loved one (17%). [Source: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.]

Barriers to telehealth use have also evolved over time.

• While roughly half (48%) of adults ages 18-plus said that a lack of knowledge in using telehealth was a top barrier in spring 2022, two years later, only 4% considered it as a barrier to use. Similarly, while roughly half (47%) registered concerns in spring 2022 about the possibility of medical errors and breaches, by 2020 this issue was raised as a concern by only one in eleven (9%) respondents. [Sources: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.]; Views on Telehealth, fielded April 21–May 2, 2020.]

Quality of virtual care relative to in-person visits remains a concern among telehealth users.

• One-third (32%) of telehealth users who noted a barrier expressed concern that the quality of care with telehealth visits might not be as good as the quality of care with in-person visits. [Source: An Updated Look at Telehealth Use Among U.S. Adults Ages 50-Plus, fielded February 24–March 3, 2022.]
  
  
• While one in seven (14%) rural adults ages 40 and over already use telehealth, about half (55%) are not very or not at all interested in using it. The most likely current barrier to the use of telehealth is concern over health issues that cannot be resolved in a virtual environment and that require an in-person medical appointment (39%). [Source: Health Care in Rural America: Successes and Challenges, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.]

Hearing Health

Problems with hearing are common as people age. 

• Nearly two-thirds (65%) of adults ages 50 and over say their hearing has declined, with men significantly more likely than women to experience hearing loss. [Source: Attitudes About Hearing Health: Adults Ages 50+, fielded January 2023.]

Most people over age 50 recognize the importance of hearing to overall health, but some don’t do all they can to protect themselves from hearing loss.

• Most older Americans (86%) agree that hearing health is important to maintaining their quality of life, and about half (52%) say it’s extremely or very important to reduce exposure to noise. However, somewhat fewer (41%) said they would be extremely or very likely to use a device to protect their hearing if they had a hearing loss. [Source: Attitudes About Hearing Health: Adults Ages 50+, fielded January 2023.]
  
  
• Almost half (47%) of adults ages 45 and older in a 2018 survey acknowledged that their hearing could be better but said that they hadn’t sought treatment for it. [Source: Older Adults Not Concerned About Hearing Health, fielded October 2018.]

Yet, older adults lack awareness of how to prevent hearing loss, specifically, what individuals can do to maintain their hearing and, conversely, the potential consequences of not taking prevention steps.

• Among adults who do not currently have any difficulty hearing, four in ten (41%) said they would be apt to use a device to protect their hearing from loud noise. About one-quarter (27%) of adults who already have difficulty hearing say they would be likely to do so. [Source: Attitudes About Hearing Health: Adults Ages 50+, fielded January 2023.]

Awareness that hearing aids can now be purchased over the counter does not affect individuals’ likelihood of addressing their hearing issues.

• Although most adults (70%) are aware that hearing aids can now be purchased over the counter (OTC), six in ten (59%) said the new access to them does not change their likelihood of addressing their hearing concerns. About one-third of adults (35%) without a hearing loss said they would be extremely or very likely to buy hearing aids OTC if they had a hearing loss, but less than one-fifth (18%) of adults who currently experience hearing difficulty would take advantage. [Source: Attitudes About Hearing Health: Adults Ages 50+, fielded January 2023.]

Hearing health is often not considered as high a priority as other health issues.

• One-quarter (24%) of adults ages 45 and over reported having gotten a hearing test in the past five years, which is significantly less than those who reported having had the other four health exams about which they were asked — a physical exam (86%), a dental exam (81%), a vision test (81%), or a dermatology scan (32%). [Source: Older Adults Not Concerned About Hearing Health, fielded October 2018.]
  
  
• More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents reported having had no discussions about hearing health with medical professionals, including primary care doctors, audiologists, or hearing instrument specialists. [Source: Older Adults Not Concerned About Hearing Health, fielded October 2018.]

Vision and Eye Health

Nearly everyone believes vision is important.

• Across the board, majorities of adults ages 50-plus consider vision and ocular health important for themselves (83%), their friends and family (88%), adults ages 50-plus (82%), and the U.S. population in general (69%). Moreover, nearly all (91%) consider vision to be important to their overall quality of life, significantly more than those who fear losing one of their other four senses. [Source: Vision 2020: A Quick Look at Eye Health Among Adults 50-Plus, fielded January 2020.]

Most are concerned about vision issues, aging, and the impact on their independence.

• Nine in ten (92%) adults ages 50 and over are concerned about eye health conditions they may experience as they age, with difficulty reading up close (55%), blurry vision (49%), and difficulty seeing at night (45%) topping the list. Eight in ten (83%) believe potential vision loss would have the greatest impact on their independence. [Source: Vision 2020: A Quick Look at Eye Health Among Adults 50-Plus, fielded January 2020.]

Lack of vigilance could hamper efforts to maintain optimal eye health.

• Many midlife and older adults are aware that eye exams are important, with about six in ten (61%) saying that they have gotten a “regular” eye exam and about half of them (51%) also having had a dilated eye exam. Unfortunately, large majorities (80%) report looking for general health information or information on eye health only “when necessary” — or not at all — a practice that can hamper their efforts to maintain optimal eye health. [Source: Vision 2020: A Quick Look at Eye Health Among Adults 50-Plus, fielded January 2020.]

Midlife and older adults show high awareness and interest in eye health topics, but they have considerable gaps in knowledge.

• While majorities of midlife and older adults report that they are aware that certain types of age-related vision loss or blindness may be prevented by having a comprehensive dilated eye exam (86%) or that they clearly understand the difference between an optician, optometrist, and ophthalmologist (76%), many said they were unfamiliar with common conditions such as temporal arteritis (71%), corneal disease (53%), retinal disorders (47%), or macular degeneration (40%). [Source: Vision 2020: A Quick Look at Eye Health Among Adults 50-Plus, fielded January 2020.]

Oral and Dental Health

Cost appears to be a bigger impediment to seeking dental care than to obtaining medical care or filling a prescription.

• Due to the cost of care, nearly half (46%) of U.S. adults ages 40 and over at least sometimes delayed seeking dental care compared to nearly four in ten (38%) who postponed seeking medical care and one-third (32%) who opted not to fill or delayed filling a prescription. [Source: How Americans 40-Plus See Their Health and the System that Supports It, fielded November 2020.]

Access to dental services is common in rural areas but the frequency and reasons for visits vary.

• Half (54%) of rural adults 40-plus have visited the dentist less than a year ago, one-fifth (20%) have done so between one and two years ago, and one-quarter (24%) went to a dentist more than three years ago. Only 1% of rural adults 40-plus say they’ve never been to the dentist at all. [Source: Healthcare in Rural America: A Focus on Dental Care, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.]
  
  
• Teeth cleanings (31%) and regular check-ups (26%) are the main reasons that rural adults 40-plus sought dental care, but those in fair or poor health are more likely to have visited a dentist for a tooth extraction, a denture-related reason, or a dental emergency rather than for a regular check-up. [Source: Healthcare in Rural America: A Focus on Dental Care, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.]
  
  
• Although a minority of rural adults ages 40 and older, nearly three in ten (28%) report having delayed a dental visit in the past two years, while one in six (13%) have forgone treatment even though they needed dental care. [Source: Healthcare in Rural America: A Focus on Dental Care, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.] 

Difficulty in paying dental bills is all-too-common, resulting in delays in seeking care — or forgoing it altogether.

• Cost is the top concern noted by more than four in ten (44%) of rural adults ages 40 and over. Roughly one-quarter noted a lack of dental insurance (26%) and safety concerns related to social distancing (23%) as reasons for delaying or forgoing dental treatment. [Source: Healthcare in Rural America: A Focus on Dental Care, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.]
  
  
• In 2020, one-fifth (18%) of rural adults 40-plus had difficulty paying dental bills in the preceding two years, a situation more common among those in fair or poor health (29%). Unfortunately, delaying or forgoing dental care often only exacerbates underlying dental (or medical) conditions. [Source: Healthcare in Rural America: A Focus on Dental Care, fielded November 20–December 18, 2020.]

Exercise and Physical Activity

Regular physical activity is common among a majority of midlife and older adults.

• Two-thirds (66%) of adults ages 40-plus said they had engaged in physical activity in the past month, with men more likely than women to say so (68% vs. 57%). [Source: Midlife and Older Adults Health: Healthy Habits, fielded November 2020.]

Common barriers to exercise are feeling tired, having health issues, or encountering bad weather, with some notable differences by gender and age group.

• Four in ten (39%) adults ages 40 and over said that feeling tired or lacking energy is the top barrier to regular exercise. Roughly one-quarter said that having health problems (27%) and encountering bad weather (25%) would impede their efforts at physical activity. [Source: Midlife and Older Adults Health: Healthy Habits, fielded November 2020.]
  
  
• Women were more likely than men to cite feeling tired (43% vs. 34%), having no one to exercise with (17% vs. 9%), and fear of getting hurt as barriers to exercise (13% vs. 8%), while men were more likely to mention their work schedule as a barrier (18% vs. 11%). [Source: Midlife and Older Adults Health: Healthy Habits, fielded November 2020.]
  
  
• Adults ages 40–49 were more likely to cite the following as barriers to exercise: being tired (45% vs. 60–69, 35%; and 70-plus, 24%), not having enough time (25% vs. 10% and 6%), dealing with a challenging work schedule (22% vs. 6% for both 60–69 and 70-plus), finding no safe place to exercise (14% vs. 60–69, 8%), and the expense of exercising (11% vs. 3% for adults 60-69). In contrast, older adults cited health problems (adults 50–59, 31%; 60–69, 29%; and 70-plus, 31%) and fears of getting hurt (adults 50–59, 11%; 60–69, 14%; and 70-plus, 10% vs. 40–49, 8%) as barriers to exercise. [Source: Midlife and Older Adults Health: Healthy Habits, fielded November 2020.]

Most midlife and older adults walk.

• Nearly nine in ten (87%) adults ages 50-plus engage in at least one of seven different walking activities and most (78%) engage in these activities for at least 10-minutes at a time. Nearly half (47%) walk for at least 30 minutes. [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]
  
  
• Whether walking a pet, brisk walking for exercise, or hiking, most adults (87%) age 50 and over say they walk in a typical week, with those ages 50–64 more likely than those age 65-plus to walk in general (91% vs. 83%) and walk for 10 minutes at a time (84% vs. 72%). [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]

Walking is good for you.

• Nine in 10 (91%) adults ages 50-plus say that walking improves physical health, eight in 10 (83%) say it improves fitness, and three-quarters (75%) say it improves mental health. [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]
  
  
• In addition to benefits of walking such as physical health (91%), fitness (83%), mental health (75%), and brain health (59%), other midlife and older adults mentioned helping maintain a healthy weight (77%), connecting with nature (56%), and creating environmental benefits like keeping cars off the road (29%). Only 1% said that walking has no benefit whatsoever. [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]

Most walkers walk with others, and neighborhoods are a common place to do so.

• One-quarter (24%) of adults ages 50 and over said they always or often walk with someone else, and another third (36%) walk with someone else sometimes. [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]
  
  
• Two-thirds (68%) opt to walk in their neighborhoods, while about one-quarter walk in a park (27%) or another outdoor space (23%). More adults ages 65-plus prefer walking in malls or shopping centers than do adults 50–64 (25% vs. 17%). [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]

Weather is the most-often cited barrier to walking, with safety concerns taking second place.

• More than one-third (37%) of adults ages 50-plus said weather was a barrier to walking. Another one in seven (15%) noted safety concerns including a lack of sidewalks, no access to a safe place to sit down, or insufficient lighting. [Source: Walking: Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50 and Older, fielded July 2022.]

How to maintain good health is no mystery, but doing it remains a challenge.

• Most adults ages 40 and over know the top factors in maintaining good health: getting enough sleep (89%), maintaining brain health (88%) and staying drug-free (86%). As people age, they tend to become more concerned about vision, cognition, hearing loss, and colorectal cancer, while depression concerns decrease as Americans get older. [Source: Midlife and Older Adults’ Health Study, fielded November 2020.]

Stress is all-too-common among midlife and older adults.

• Overall, more than one-quarter (27%) of midlife and older adults report high stress. Those in their 40s were more likely (38%) to be highly stressed than those in their 50s (33%), 60s (18%), and 70-plus (13%). More women than men ages 40-plus report high stress (30% vs. 24%). [Source: Midlife and Older Adults’ Health Study, fielded November 2020.]