2021 MCBS PUF on Financial Well-Being of Medicare Beneficiaries

Highlights

• Among Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2021, 73 percent owned a home, 50 percent had a retirement account, and 24 percent had earnings from work.
• In 2021, median household income was $44,991.
• Among Medicare beneficiaries living in the community in 2021, 13 percent had trouble getting places. Younger Medicare beneficiaries (under 65 years) and older Medicare beneficiaries (aged 85 and over) were more likely to experience trouble getting places (26 percent and 23 percent, respectively) compared with beneficiaries in the 65 to 74 and 75 to 84 age groups (8 percent and 12 percent, respectively).
• In 2021, 17 percent of Medicare beneficiaries living in the community were food insecure. Beneficiaries under age 65 were most likely to be food insecure (42 percent) compared with beneficiaries in other age groups (15 percent among 65 to 74 year olds, 11 percent among 75 to 84 year olds, and 10 percent among beneficiaries 85 years and over were food insecure in 2021).