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"Men-icare"? Males Upbeat on Medicare

by Steve Hanway

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson won a long-fought battle to establish a federal medical program for the aged, but recent history is evidence that he didn't win the war. Almost 40 years later, the fight continues in Congress over what should be done to shore up Medicare and how to provide a new prescription drug benefit to seniors.

Interest in issues surrounding Medicare varies significantly by age. According to an Aug. 25-26 Gallup Poll* in which Gallup asked Americans several questions about Medicare, only 30% of people aged 18 to 49 said that they were following the Medicare debate in Congress at least somewhat closely, as opposed to 59% of 50- to 64-year-olds and 78% of people aged 65 and older.

It's not surprising that older people are more likely than younger people to follow the Medicare issue, as seniors are the primary beneficiaries of the program. Differences of opinion also exist by gender, which may surprise some. However, it may not be that surprising given that other Gallup polling on healthcare issues reveal that women are more likely than men to forgo healthcare because of the cost, and worry about paying medical bills more than men do.

Gallup asked respondents whether they approve of how George W. Bush is handling Medicare. Men are about evenly divided on the issue -- 44% approve of the president's handling of Medicare, and 41% disapprove. However, just 37% of women approve of Bush's handling of this issue, and more than half (54%) disapprove.

Gallup asked Americans whether the changes to Medicare being considered by Congress would make things better, worse, or have no effect on themselves or their families (people aged 65 and older were asked about themselves, and those under 65 were asked about themselves and their families). Women were slightly more pessimistic than men were; 36% of women said the changes would make things worse, compared to 28% of men who said the same.

Finally, respondents were also asked whether the Medicare bills being considered would do enough to help seniors pay the cost of prescription drugs, or whether they should do more. Eighty-two percent of women said the bills should do more to help seniors, versus 69% of men who said the same.

Bottom Line

There are a number of possible explanations for these gender differences. According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, women spend 68% more in out-of-pocket healthcare expenses than men do, while typically earning less money overall. Women also tend to live longer than men, making them greater stakeholders in the success or failure of Medicare. According to 2003 U.S. Health and Human Services figures, of the 40 million people enrolled in Medicare, 57% are female and 43% are male. And of particular relevance as the drug benefit issue rages is the fact that women are more likely than men to use prescription drugs. According to a September 2002 report by the Georgetown University Center on an Aging Society, 75% of women use prescription drugs, compared to 56% of men who do.

Medicare was initially created to serve the needs of seniors, but any Medicare program that's going to win the approval of its participants will need to take the needs of women into special account.

*Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,009 national adults, aged 18 and older, conducted Aug. 25-26, 2003. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points. For results based on the sample of 484 men or 525 women, the maximum margin of sampling error is ±5 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.


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