Affordable Care Act to Improve Health Insurance Coverage Access Medicare Resource Center

Health Insurance Coverage for 50- to 64-Year-Olds

Access drops as costs rise and employer-sponsored plans decline health care law promises help

The promises to improve access to adequate, affordable health care coverage for all older adults, especially for those with lower incomes and pre-existing medical conditions. The share of adults age 50 to 64 who are at risk for high health care spending is rising, while the share with employer-sponsored health coverage is declining.

The Report

Download the AARP Public Policy Institute report "Health Insurance Coverage for 50- to 64-Year-Olds." Thirty percent of adults in this age group spend at least 10 percent of their disposable income on health care, compared to 18 percent among adults age 19 to 49. For those buying health insurance in the individual market, the likelihood of high total out-of-pocket health spending is much greater — three in four. The uninsured (8.9 million) outnumber those with public coverage (7.3 million) or those with other private coverage (4.2 million), and their number is growing. There are 3.7 million more uninsured older adults since 2000. In "Health Insurance Coverage for 50- to 64-Year-Olds," AARP's Public Policy Institute examines sources of coverage for the 50 to 64 age group, issues confronting those not covered through an employer, characteristics of the uninsured, shifts in , market trends, health care spending and the impact of the Affordable Care Act. As the implementation of the Affordable Care Act proceeds, and debates about how to improve our health care system continue, it will be important to look at how well the system serves people who are most at risk in our current system, including adults age 50 to 64. This report updates the 2009 health coverage report, "Health Care Reform: What’s at Stake for 50- to 64-Year-Olds."

More on Health Insurance Coverage

You May Also Like and receive access to exclusive information, benefits and discounts
Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.