Illness-engendered poverty among the elderly.
This paper presents an overview of the economic situation of elderly women in the United States. Its focus is on "illness-engendered poverty," a type of poverty that results from the inadequacies of Medicare coverage of long-term care and the subsequent need of many elderly to "spend down" into poverty in order to qualify for means-tested, publicly financed health and social programs. The consequences of Medicaid eligibility requirements and system incentives on the economic and social well-being of older women and their families are discussed.
Grau
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Brookdale Research Institute on Aging, Fordham University, New York, NY 10023.
D000368:Aged; D003363:Cost Control; D004608:Eligibility Determination; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006291:Health Policy; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D008489:Medical Indigency; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D008913:Minority Groups; D009017:Morbidity; D011203:Poverty; D012924:Social Conditions; D014481:United States