The Economic Status of the Oldest Old

Proposals to shift more of Medicare's costs to beneficiaries raise the question of whether the oldest old--the heaviest users--have the resources to bear these costs. Information on cash income, assets, other economic resources, and in-kind benefits provides an assessment of the economic status of the very old. When all factors and adjustments are considered, the oldest old, as a group, are shown to have substantially lower economic status than the young old.