Your organization may have access to full text of this article. The oldest old are more likely to be women, to be in poor health, to live alone, and to be poor. This analysis presents data on changes in the age distribution and socioeconomic status of the older population by rural-urban residence and examines the implications for resources, services, and programs in rural areas. Working Papers 8. As a multivariate analysis reveals, oldest old patients receive less costly treatment for the same illness than younger patients.
Health care is informally rationed according to the age of the patient.
The data also indicate that age-related rationing may be more pronounced in Germany than in the United States. Retirement systems should be conceived of as long-term financial contracts under which workers contributions today are exchanged for benefits paid to the elderly tomorrow. Such contracts are said to be well-managed if the transactions are handled in an affordable, reliable, and efficient manner. If pensions are to continue to meet the needs of an aging world, it is imperative to prepare for emerging challenges as these systems evolve through time. In these remarks we first show how global demographic change is driving pension change throughout the world.