Medicaid

In general, elderly persons are less healthy and have greater health care needs than the general population. Nearly a third of people age sixty-five and over report that their health status is poor or fair, compared to 18 percent of people age 55 to 64 and just 6 percent of those age 25 to 44. A significant percent of elderly persons live with serious or disabling health problems, such as arthritis (56 percent), hypertension (53 percent), and heart disease (36 percent), and many live with multiple chronic conditions (69 percent). These are all conditions that require increased contact with the health care system and ongoing care, including frequent visits with a health care provider, prescription medications, and, at times, hospitalization or other inpatient medical services.