Between 1970 and 1983, the rate at which the elderly were hospitalized grew by more than 40%, whereas the rate of hospitalization for the younger population was fairly stable. Past attempts to explain the different patterns among the young and the old have focused on technology, insurance,...

Although the Social Security program has substantially reduced poverty among older Americans, 17.3 percent of nonmarried elderly women (widowed, divorced, or never married) are living in poverty today. This paper explores several policy options designed to reduce poverty by enhancing Social...

In this chapter, we use the Social Security Administration’s simulation model known as MINT (Modeling Income in the Near Term) to examine the projected health and economic status of Baby Boomers and their parents during retirement. Our projections indicate that boomers will enjoy higher levels...

There are numerous types of benefits paid under the Social Security programs of the United States, with each type of benefit having its own set of eligibility rules and benefit formula. It is likely that there is an association between the type of benefit a person receives and the economic...

This article reviews the economic literature on the work and retirement decisions of older women. Economic studies generally find that married women respond to the financial reward for work (for example, wages) in making their work and retirement decisions, but that they do not respond to...