2023

Aging Boomers Will Need Lots Of Care. We're Not Ready.

The Big Take

Bloomberg

By 2030, people over the age of 65 in the US will outnumber those under 18. That’s in part because people are living longer—a testament to modern medicine. But are our health systems and social programs equipped to support so many seniors at the same time?

Bloomberg reporter Priya Anand brings us the details on a tech startup that’s trying to fill part of the void in senior care—and the challenges it’s facing. And health economist Jonathan Skinner talks about how the US can actually meet the needs of aging Baby Boomers.

Read more: Assault Allegations Plague a $1.4 Billion Home Eldercare Startup

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Understanding the Red State Death Trip

New York Times Opinion

By Paul Krugman-Opinion Columnist

Last Friday the Medicare trustees released their latest report on the system’s finances, and it contained some unexpected good news:Expenditures are running below projections, and the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund won’t be exhausted as soon as previously predicted.

But one important reason for this financial improvement was grisly: Covid killed a substantial number of Medicare beneficiaries. And thevictims were disproportionately seniors already suffering from severe — and expensive — health problems. “As a result, the survivingpopulation had spending that was lower than average.”

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