Sharing Increasing Costs on Declining Income: The Visible Dilemma of the Invisible Aged

The federal government considers all persons aged 65 and over a single beneficiary group, and data collectors consider them a single cohort. As a result, the very old (80 years and over) are virtually invisible; little is known about their specific income benefits and economic resources. Costs for the very old-a more economically diverse group than the nonaged-are likely to grow disproportionately. Recent proposals to share costs will affect the distribution of income and assets among the aged and between generations.

Author(s): Barbara Boyle Torrey

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Volume 63, Issue 2 (pages 377–394)
Published in 1985