Health Care at an Advanced Age: Myths and Misconceptions
Authors: Gene D. Cohen
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1994)

Editorials15 July 1994Health Care at an Advanced Age: Myths and MisconceptionsGene D. Cohen, MD, PhDGene D. Cohen, MD, PhDCenter for Aging and Health; School of Medicine and Health Sciences; George Washington University; Washington, DC 20009Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-121-2-199407150-00014 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The rapid growth of America's older population that looms on the demographic horizon is by now a familiar concept. People aged 65 years and older, who today constitute about 12% of the U.S. population, will make up about 20% by the year 2020. The actual numbers are expected to double. This demographic shift comes at a time when an equally dramatic economic trend has claimed the nation's attention: the seemingly inexorable increase in health care costs as a percentage of the gross national product.It seems nothing short of common sense to assume that the two trends are linked, and, ...References1. Callahan D. Setting Limits: Medical Goals in an Aging Society. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1987. Google Scholar2. Levinsky NG. Age as a criterion for rationing health care. N Engl J Med. 1990; 322:1813-6. Google Scholar3. Gornick M, McMillan A, Lubitz J. A longitudinal perspective on patterns of Medicare payments. Health Affairs. 1993; 12:140-50. Google Scholar4. Scitovsky AA. Medical care in the last twelve months of life: The relation between age, functional status, and medical care expenditures. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly/Health and Society. 1988; 66:640-60. Google Scholar5. Taeuber CM. Sixty-five plus in America. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census; 1992. Google Scholar6. Temkin-Greener H, Meiners MR, Petty EA, Szydlowski JS. The use and cost of health services prior to death: A comparison of the Medicare-only and the Medicare-Medicaid elderly population. Milbank Q. 1992; 70:679-701. Google Scholar7. Lubitz J, Prihoda R. The use and costs of Medicare services in the last two years of life. Health Care Financing Review. 1984; 5:117-31. Google Scholar8. Lubitz J, Riley G. Trends in Medicare payments in the last year of life. N Engl J Med. 1993; 328:1092-6. Google Scholar9. Binstock RH. The oldest old and “intergenerational equity.” In: Suzman RM, Willis DP, Manton KG, eds. The Oldest Old. New York: Oxford University Press; 1992. Google Scholar10. Zook CJ, Savickis SP, Moore FD. Repeated hospitalization for the same disease: A multiplier of national health costs. Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly. 1980; 58:454-71. Google Scholar11. Scitovsky A. The high cost of dying: What do the data show? Milbank Memorial Fund Quarterly/Health and Society. 1984; 62:591-608. Google Scholar12. Lakshmipathi C, Pinsky MR, Donahoe MP, Grenvik A. Long-term outcome of critically ill elderly patients requiring intensive care. JAMA. 1993; 269:3119-23. Google Scholar13. Gist J. Entitlements and the Federal Budget Deficit: Setting the Record Straight. Washington, D.C.: AARP Public Policy Institute; 1992. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Center for Aging and Health; School of Medicine and Health Sciences; George Washington University; Washington, DC 20009 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByWhy Jecker's Capabilities Approach to Age-Based Rationing Is Incapable of Containing Health Care CostsAging and utilization of hospital services in Hong Kong: retrospective cohort studyRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOCIO-ECONOMIC FEATURES AND HEALTH STATUS IN ELDERLY HOSPITALIZED PATIENTSSocioeconomic status and hospitalization in the very old: a retrospective studyCauses and Prognosis of Acute Renal Failure in the Very OldFlexibility and faithfulnessANTIBIOTIC CONCERNS IN THE ELDERLYHealth Care Costs Associated With Aging: What Is Your HCA IQ—Your “Health Costs Associated With Aging” Intelligence Quotient? 15 July 1994Volume 121, Issue 2Page: 146-147KeywordsAge groupsElderlyHealth careHealth economicsMedicareMortalityNursing homesPatientsPrevention, policy, and public healthQuality of life Issue Published: 15 July 1994 CopyrightCopyright © 1994 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...