Ohio Department of Aging
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February 2008
Medicare Coverage Can Improve Health
For people who were previously uninsured, particularly people with chronic health problems, turning 65 can actually improve their health because they begin receiving Medicare coverage, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The health of uninsured individuals between 55 and 65 years old declined more rapidly than their counterparts with health insurance. Once both groups received Medicare coverage at age 65, the disparity in health steadily diminished. For people with diabetes and cardiovascular problems in particular, the access to treatment provided through Medicare slows, and even reverses, the sharp decline in health that begins when people forgo care that they cannot afford.
However, people who had health insurance before enrolling in Medicare on average remain healthier than those who spent much of their late fifties and early sixties without coverage. Separate research shows that the previously uninsured cost Medicare more after they enroll because they are less healthy and require more care. Also, people with disabilities often go without health care during the two years they must wait after they get their first Social Security Disability check for Medicare coverage to begin.
Private insurance is often unaffordable, if it is available at all, for people with disabilities or for individuals in the 55 to 65 age group who do not receive health insurance through their employers and are more likely to need costly care.
Older Ohians can contact the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program, from the Ohio Department of Insurance, toll-free at 1-800-686-1578 for answers to their questions and help making decisions about health care insurance.
Ohio Department of Aging