TY - JOUR T1 - Betwixt and Between: Targeting coverage reforms to those approaching Medicare JF - Health Affairs Y1 - 2001 A1 - Dennis G. Shea A1 - Pamela F. Short A1 - M. Paige Powell KW - Demographics KW - Health Conditions and Status KW - Healthcare KW - Income KW - Insurance KW - Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance KW - Methodology KW - Net Worth and Assets AB - Recent Medicare buy-in proposals agree on setting eligibility at age sixty-two but disagree on linking eligibility to loss of employer insurance or ability to pay. We examine arguments for targeting incremental coverage for older Americans in these ways. While access to retiree health insurance is declining, we question whether targeting loss of employer insurance can address many older Americans' insurance problems. Furthermore, focusing on persons ages sixty-two to sixty-four misses a large group of persons in poor health with limited resources. Efforts to improve coverage for older Americans should consider trade-offs between defining eligibility by age versus ability to pay. PB - 20 VL - 20 IS - 1 U4 - Age Factors/Eligibility Determination/Financing, Personal/Health Benefit Plans, Employee/Health Care Reform/Health Status/Income/Insurance Coverage/Medicare/Middle Age/Poverty/Support, Non U.S. Government ER - TY - RPRT T1 - Health Insurance on the Way to Medicare: Is Special Government assistance warranted? Y1 - 2001 A1 - Pamela F. Short A1 - Dennis G. Shea A1 - M. Paige Powell KW - Medicare/Medicaid/Health Insurance KW - Retirement Planning and Satisfaction AB - The survey analyses described in this report are intended to help policymakers understand better the health insurance problems that confront Americans who are approaching age 65 and Medicare eligibility. A clear understanding of these problems is crucial to deciding whether or not to proceed with incremental coverage reforms for older, pre-Medicare adults. We had four specific research objectives: 1. To learn about the transitions in health insurance coverage experienced by older adults prior to age 65, especially as they relate to changes in employment and health; 2. To look at how well a policy allowing people to buy in to the Medicare program at age 62 (as proposed by former President Clinton and others) would compensate for the loss of employer-based insurance; 3. To see if there are compelling arguments, in addition to early retirement and the loss of employer coverage, to target older Americans in particular for coverage expansions; 4. To explore the empirical justification for targeting people age 62 and older, rather than setting eligibility for a buy-in at some other age. More generally, we wanted to produce a compendium of relevant statistics that would be useful to policy analysts and others who are considering coverage reforms for older Americans. PB - The Commonwealth Fund, Publication 457 UR - https://www.commonwealthfund.org/sites/default/files/documents/___media_files_publications_fund_report_2001_jun_health_insurance_on_the_way_to_medicare__is_special_government_assistance_warranted_short_insurance_to_medicare_457_pdf.pdf U4 - Health Insurance Coverage/Medicare/Retirement behavior ER -