The impact of Medicare on demography

Summary The so-called Medicare program enacted by the 1965 Amendments to the Social Security Act will have a significant impact on demographic studies, in view of the vast amount of previously unobtainable data that will be made available. Not only will there be extensive information in regard to hospitalization and other medical-care costs for persons aged 65 and over (with adequate subdivisions by age and sex) but also reliable data in regard to the true size of the population aged 65 and over will be produced. The reason for this latter result is that virtually all pereons aged 65 and over in the country will become eligible for hospital insurance, even though they may not have been previously covered, or have been survivors of persons covered, under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance System. As a result, not only will there be an accurate count (unlike the census, where the enumeration necessarily is not complete), but also there will be a verification of age, since this is necessary under the claims process.