Income & Poverty
Understand the profound effects of income disparities and poverty on aging and access to healthcare and supportive services.
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Where You Age Matters: Economic Security Across States
Economic security in later life depends on both household income and the costs of meeting basic needs where people live. In other words, older adults (age 65+) may have similar retirement incomes, yet face very different costs for meeting their basic needs. The Elder Index makes those differences visible by estimating the income required to cover essential expenses by county. The Elder Index measu...
Feelings Meet Facts: What We See When We Overlay Our Gallup Survey on the City Checkup
Nearly one in four U.S. workers, about 23 million people, say they're staying in a job they want to leave because they're afraid of losing their health insurance.1 Researchers call this job lock, and according to new research from our West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America, it's risen eight percentage points since 2021.1,2 That's a feeling, captured the way we capture feelings through ...
America's Cities Just Got a Checkup
Today, 789 American cities took the same checkup. Not one earned an A. West Health graded all of them, A+ to F, across seven dimensions of daily life: financial security, infrastructure, mental and behavioral health, physical environment, physical health, safety, and social connection. Rockville, Maryland earned the best report card in the country, a B+. Memphis, Tennessee ranked 789th out of 789....
The Gender Gap in Aging: Economic Security in 2025
Life-long patterns of inequality in work experiences and wealth accumulation contribute to substantial gender disparities in retirement security. These factors reduce women’s earnings and their capacity to accumulate retirement resources. Women also typically outlive men, increasing the likelihood of becoming widowed and living alone and stretching already limited resources across a longer retirem...
Key Challenges Women Face that Impact Their Financial Security
Planning for retirement is difficult at any age, but it can be especially challenging for women ages 50 to 64, who are often juggling work, caregiving responsibilities, and rising health expenses associated with an increase in health care needs. These years are also often women’s peak earning years, making this period a critical window to build savings and strengthen financial security. Elder Inde...
Safety Net Programs Don’t Keep Up with Older Adults’ Actual Costs of Living
The infographic below illustrates how the income eligibility limits for several major safety net programs compare with the actual cost of living for older adults. While these programs provide critical support for those with the lowest incomes, many older adults who are struggling financially fall outside eligibility thresholds and are unable to access assistance.Key Takeaways• The cost of living i...
Unmet Needs of Older Adults with Military-Based Healthcare Coverage
IntroductionThe veteran population is aging rapidly with higher rates of disability compared to non-veterans. The number of veterans age 85 and older is projected to increase by 38% from FY2019 to FY2039, and over 40% of veterans age 65 and older have at least one disability compared to 32% of their non-veteran peers. A large percentage of older adults over 50 have healthcare coverage through a m...
New Federal Rules on SNAP and Medicaid Put Older Adults at Risk
In the infographics below, we highlight who is most affected by the new federal rules, what’s at stake for older adults, and how changes to SNAP and Medicaid could deepen financial hardship and food insecurity for millions nationwide.Key Takeaways:Despite widespread concern about rising costs of food and healthcare, new federal rules put millions at risk of losing essential support.87% of adults a...
Providing Home- and Community-Based Nutrition Services to Low-Income Older Adults: Promising Health Plan Practices
By Stephanie Gibbs*, Center for Health Care Strategies and Amy Herr, West Health Policy Center*Stephanie Gibbs was previously a senior program officer at the Center for Health Care Strategies.IN BRIEFState Medicaid agencies and Medicaid health plans increasingly recognize the importance of social support services, including nutritious food, as part of a holistic approach to addressing the needs of...