Profile of Medicare Beneficiaries by Race and Ethnicity: A Chartpack
Introduction
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U.S. Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2014, Table 16: “Life expectancy at birth, age 65, and at age 75, by sex, race, and Hispanic origin: United States, selected years 1900-2013, available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus14.pdf#016.
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), “Medicare Hospital Readmission Among Minority Populations: 2007-2013 Trends and Disparities,” Winter 2015, available at: https://www.cms.gov/About-CMS/Agency-Information/OMH/Downloads/OMH_Dwnld-MedicareHospitalReadmissionsAmongMinorityPopulations.pdf.
K. Joynt et al, “Thirty-day Readmission Rates for Medicare Beneficiaries by Race and Site of Care,” JAMA, 305(7): 675-681, February 2011.
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Chartpack
Categories sum to more than 100% because Hispanics may be of any race.
R. Hummer and M. Hayward, "Hispanic Older Adult Health and Longevity in the United States: Current Patterns and Concerns for the Future.” Daedalus, 144(2):20-30, Spring 2015.
J. Lariscy et al, “Hispanic Older Adult Mortality in the United States: New Estimates and an Assessment of Factors Shaping the Hispanic Paradox,” Demography, 52(1):1-14, February 2015.
M. Hayward et al, “Does the Hispanic Paradox in U.S. Adult Mortality Extend to Disability?” Population Research and Policy, 33(1):81-96, February 2014.
For additional information about the official poverty measure and the SPM, both developed by the U.S. Census Bureau, and poverty rates among seniors, see J. Cubanski, G. Casillas, and A. Damico, "Poverty Among Seniors: An Updated Analysis of National and State Level Poverty Rates Under the Official and Supplemental Poverty Measures," Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2015, available at: https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/poverty-among-seniors-an-updated-analysis-of-national-and-state-level-poverty-rates-under-the-official-and-supplemental-poverty-measures/.
Income takes into account Social Security, pensions, earnings, and other income sources; including income from assets, rental income, and retirement account (IRA) withdrawals. Income is presented on a per person basis; for married people income is divided equally between spouses to calculate per capita income. For additional information, see G. Jacobson, C. Swoope, T. Neuman, and K. Smith, "Income and Assets of Medicare Beneficiaries, 2014–2030," Kaiser Family Foundation, September 2015, available at: https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/income-and-assets-of-medicare-beneficiaries-2014-2030/.
Total savings includes retirement account holdings (such as IRAs or 401Ks) and other financial assets, including savings accounts, bonds and stocks. Savings are presented on a per person basis; for married people, savings are divided equally between spouses to calculate per capita savings. For additional information, see G. Jacobson et al, "Income and Assets of Medicare Beneficiaries, 2014–2030."
CMS, 2011 Health and Health Care of the Medicare Population, Table 2.4: "Self-Reported Health Conditions and Risk Factors of Medicare Beneficiaries, by Race/Ethnicity and Age, 2011."
T. Neuman, G. Casillas, and G. Jacobson, “Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare: Is the Balance Tipping?” Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2015, available at: https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/medicare-advantage-and-traditional-medicare-is-the-balance-tipping/
Similarly, the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) also finds lower shares of black and Hispanic beneficiaries reporting that they had seen or talked to a dentist in the past year compared with whites; see Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2014, Table 84: “Dental visits in the past year, by selected characteristics: United States, selected years 1997-2013,” available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus14.pdf.
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Oral Health and Medicare Beneficiaries: Coverage, Out-of-Pocket Spending, and Unmet Need," June 2012, available at: https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/oral-health-and-medicare-beneficiaries-coverage-out/.
CMS, “Medicare Hospital Readmission Among Minority Populations: 2007-2013 Trends and Disparities."
K. Joynt et al, “Thirty-day Readmission Rates for Medicare Beneficiaries by Race and Site of Care.”
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Health, United States, 2014, Table 76: "Use of mammography among women aged 40 and over, by selected characteristics: United States, selected years 1987–2013," available at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus14.pdf.