Finances » Health Insurance
Why It's Important
In general, health insurance costs to employers are higher for older adults. Workers
whose employers provide health insurance have an incentive to keep working until
they are eligible for Medicare at age 65. Availability of health insurance is a
factor that may affect the timing of retirement.
"Most Americans obtain health insurance through their employers; however, job-based
coverage has declined in recent years. The percentage of firms offering coverage
dropped from 69 percent in 2000 to 60 percent in 2007, which was in part due to
rising premiums. In 2007, the annual employer group premium for a family of four
was $12,106, nearly double what it was in 2000."
See Data By: Richmond MSA | Virginia
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How Richmond Is Doing

How Virginia Is Doing
- 85 percent of employers say they offer health insurance (ODP BUSINESS LEADER, 2008)
- 31 percent say they offer long-term care insurance (ODP BUSINESS LEADER, 2008)
- 28 percent of Boomers in Virginia say they have long-term care insurance (ODP RESIDENT,
2008)

How the U.S. Is Doing
According to an AARP Fact Sheet on income and poverty in the US:
- An estimated 47 million persons were without any health insurance coverage in all
of 2006 (15.8% of the total population).
- This number was 2.2 million persons more than in 2005.
- The increase was statistically significant.
- The percentage of persons without health insurance for all subgroups except age
15 to 24 was higher in 2006 than 2005.
- Among persons age 65 and older, half a million (1.5 percent) were without health
insurance in 2006, higher than 2005.
(AARP, FACT SHEET ON POVERTY, 2006)
Data & Information Sources
AARP, Public Policy Institute, Fact Sheet on Income, Poverty and Health Insurance
Coverage in the United States, 2006
http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/econ/fs141_income.pdf
Federal Interagency Forum on Aging Related Statistics
http://www.agingstats.gov/agingstatsdotnet/main_site/default.aspx
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
www.kff.org
ODP, Residents’ Study & Business Leaders’ Study, 2008
http://www.olderdominion.org/documents/ODP_Exec_Sum_03_26-08.pdf
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
http://www.census.gov/acs/www/