Abstract
This chapter discusses the current states of health care and health insurance practice for retirees. The retired population has important public policy significance for the health care sector. Retirees over age 65 are less healthy than the younger population, use more health care services, have higher health expenditures, and are a powerful voting and lobbying force in politics. This chapter details the health insurance options available to retirees and use of health care services in retirement, and offers future directions for research. Medicare is the primary insurer for virtually all retirees over age 65, so the benefits, financing, eligibility, enrollment, quality, access, and utilization of health care services covered by Medicare are described in detail. Retirees will be affected in many ways by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010. The changes will be highlighted throughout the chapter and discussed in depth in the Future Directions section.