The 'graying' of group health insurance.
We examine differential declines in private insurance by income and age. We show that older, higher-income people in working families are more likely to retain private coverage as premiums rise, and we project these effects on future coverage rates. The analysis suggests that trends are leading to the "graying" of the employment-based health insurance system, where older, higher-income people get private health insurance, and others increasingly have public coverage or go without. These changes raise questions about the private health care system's ability to pool health risks. Population aging could interact with rising premiums and place additional pressure on an already strained employment-based health insurance system.
Keenan
Patricia Seliger
PS
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. patricia.keenan@yale.edu
Cutler
David M
DM
Chernew
Michael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005249:Fees and Charges / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006264:Health Benefit Plans, Employee / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D015271:Insurance Pools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics; D014481:United States