Seniors - Research and Data from KFF

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Hit People of Color the Hardest, Including Among People With Medicare

Feb 16, 2021

News Release

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the stark racial and ethnic health inequities in the U.S., including among Medicare beneficiaries. Among this group, people of color, including older adults and others on Medicare, account for disproportionate shares of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, according to data presented in a new KFF report about racial and ethnic disparities in health among people with Medicare. Older Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults were nearly twice as likely…

Does Education Narrow the Gap in Wealth Among Older Adults, by Race and Ethnicity?

Feb 16, 2021

Issue Brief

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…

At This Early Stage of the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out, Most Older Adults Have Not Yet Been Vaccinated As Supply Remains Limited

Feb 8, 2021

News Release

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. Since January 12, the federal government has recommended that states expand vaccine eligibility to anyone 65 and older, beyond the initial higher-priority groups of health care workers and…

At This Early Stage of the COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out, Most Older Adults Have Not Yet Been Vaccinated As Supply Remains Limited

Feb 8, 2021

Issue Brief

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.

Who Didn’t Get a Second Shingrix Shot? Implications for Multidose COVID-19 Vaccines

Dec 14, 2020

Issue Brief

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.

COVID-19 Has Claimed the Lives of 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents and Staff

Nov 25, 2020

Policy Watch

More than 100,000 residents and staff have died in long-term care facilities since the start of the pandemic. This post discusses the implications of the likely rise in cases due to holiday gatherings and the share of total COVID-19 deaths that have happened in long-term care facilities.

Medicare Advantage 2021 Spotlight: First Look

Oct 29, 2020

Issue Brief

For 2021, the average Medicare beneficiary has access to 33 Medicare Advantage plans, the largest number of options available in the last decade, and can choose from plans offered by eight firms. Among the majority of Medicare Advantage plans that cover prescription drugs, 54 percent will charge no premium in addition to the monthly Medicare Part B premium. As in previous years, the vast majority of Medicare Advantage plans will offer supplemental fitness, dental, vision,…

One in Four Older Adults Report Anxiety or Depression Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct 9, 2020

Issue Brief

This analysis estimates the share of older adults who reported anxiety or depression amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lower Flu Vaccination Rates Among Black, Hispanic, and Low-Income Seniors Suggest Challenges for COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts

Oct 6, 2020

Issue Brief

People 65 and older, who have been hardest hit by COVID-19 in terms of hospitalizations and deaths, are also at high risk of severe flu illness and are more likely to die of the flu than younger people. This analysis explores variation in the rate of flu vaccination among adults ages 65 and older covered by Medicare, and reasons cited for not getting vaccinated, based on data from the 2018 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey.

COVID-19 Outbreaks in Long-Term Care Facilities Were Most Severe in the Early Months of the Pandemic, but Data Show Cases and Deaths in Such Facilities May Be On the Rise Again

Sep 1, 2020

News Release

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. A second new analysis from KFF examines the impact of COVID-19 on assisted living facilities, a type of long-term care facility that, unlike nursing homes, is not federally regulated,…

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