The influx of baby boomers reaching retirement may pose challenges for the healthcare landscape.
Here are 16 things to know about baby boomers and healthcare.
1. A "WebMD Patient Engagement Survey" found baby boomers value engagement in healthcare, which may dictate the way providers care for patients as this cohort enters retirement in the coming years.
2. Seventy-nine percent of baby boomers get information on how to manage their health from their physician or healthcare professional, while 51 percent obtain this information from written instructions.
3. Less than half — 45 percent — of baby boomers obtain information on how to manage their health from the Internet, and 13 percent obtain this information from a portal.
4. Baby boomers account for:
• 90 percent of nursing home use
• 38 percent of emergency medical responses
• 35 percent of hospital stays
• 34 percent of prescriptions
• 26 percent of physician office visits
5. The American Medical Association found between 2010 and 2013, the population of Americans over the age of 65 will increase by 73 percent.
6. By 2030, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons anticipates a 673 percent increase in total knee replacements.
7. AAOS also projects a 174 percent spike in first-time total hip replacements by 2030.
8. An Advise American survey found 52 percent of baby boomers reported having a sedentary lifestyle with no physical activity and only 13 percent reported they were in excellent health.
9. Lifetime costs for a typical 65-year-old patient totals $44,000 for uncovered long-term care. Long-term care services can include home care, assisted living or nursing homes.
10. Long-term care expenditures surpassed $120 billion in 2000, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. Each year, 'conservative' CBO estimates indicate long-term care expenditures will jump 2.6 percent each year above inflation for the next 30 years.
11. By 2030, CBO expects long-term care expenditures to reach $270 billion.
12. A 2006 Commonwealth study found more than 60 percent of adults between 50 and 64 years old who are employed or have an employed spouse have been diagnosed with at least one chronic health condition.
13. A CMS Office of the Actuary study found Medicare spending jumped 5.5 percent to $618.7 million in 2014, with Medicare spending comprising 20 percent of overall healthcare spending that year.
14. By 2088, the number of people aging into Medicare will total 5 million, Medscape reported.
15. Middle-aged adults have a 55 percent higher prevalence of diabetes, a 25 percent higher prevalence of obesity and a 9 percent lower prevalence of very good or excellent health status than the current population of seniors, an United Health Foundation report found.
16. Medicare currently spends one out of every three dollars on diabetes-related care. Between 2009 and 2034, Medicare spending on diabetes is expected to grow from $45 billion to $171 billion.
More articles on leadership:
OHSU medical school dean dies 3 weeks after sustaining critical injuries
Want to be a CEO? Diversify your experience, study says
Medicare beneficiaries per state for all 50 states & Washington DC