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Twenty-two states and the District of Columbia have vaccinated at least one-third of their residents who are 65 and older against COVID-19, an updated KFF analysis finds, but no state has crossed the threshold of vaccinating 50 percent or more of its older population.
This analysis examines COVID-19 vaccination rates among older adults in states that report these data at the person-level. It also looks at the change in vaccination rates between February 4 and February 23 among a subset of these states.
This brief takes a closer look at multiple measures beyond waiver waiting lists to evaluate state choices about optional Medicaid eligibility pathways, spending, and services for seniors and people with disabilities as of 2018. The analysis draws on several KFF resources, including 50-state surveys of Medicaid financial eligibility pathways for seniors and people with disabilities, HCBS waiver programs, and state plan benefits offered, as well as state Medicaid LTSS expenditures reported by Mathematica.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the stark racial and ethnic health inequities in the U.S., including among Medicare beneficiaries.
With the COVID-19 vaccination rollout still in its early stages, a KFF analysis finds that most older adults have not yet been vaccinated against the potentially deadly virus, as vaccine supplies remain limited and most states have only recently begun to make people 65 and older eligible.
This analysis looks at vaccination rates among older adults at the state level, and the share of all vaccines administered that have been given to older adults, among states reporting vaccination data by age.
This analysis of per capita income and assets among older adults in 2019 shows that differences in median per capita income among White, Black, and Hispanic adults ages 65 and older are narrower when comparing people with similar levels of education, although among college graduates, the gap in income continues to be wide between Hispanic and White seniors. The gaps in savings and home equity remain wide, and are particularly striking among seniors with less than a high school education. The patterns are similar for men and women, as well as across different age groups of older adults.
As the U.S. prepares for nationwide distribution of vaccines to combat COVID-19, some are asking whether people who get the first of two doses will return to complete the series. This analysis draws on Medicare Part D prescription drug claims data for the herpes zoster vaccine Shingrix, which also requires two doses, to shed light on this potential challenge of the leading COVID-19 vaccine candidates.
The rate of new COVID-19 cases and deaths in long-term care facilities declined markedly in May and June after the novel coronavirus swept through nursing homes in April, but recent data show the incidence may be on the rise again, according to a new KFF analysis.
This analysis examines the impact of COVID-19 on assisted living facilities, including changes in cases and deaths between June and August 2020, using state-reported data on COVID-19. The analysis finds a significant increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths among residents and staff in assisted living facilities over this two-month period. Due to the incomplete nature of state reporting, these numbers are an undercount.
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