January 2012

According to a recently released survey conducted by The Senior Citizens
League, seniors spend a significant amount of their social-security benefits
paying for healthcare. Among the 1,200 respondents to the survey, more
than a quarter spent between $300 and $600 a month on healthcare
costs. With the average social security payment at $1,100 this year, that's
up to 55 percent of their monthly benefit. Larry Hyland, TSCUs
chairman, said the majority of seniors depend on social security for at
least half of their income and, with healthcare costs rising several times
faster than benefits, few seniors can afford to pay any more than they
already do for healthcare. Fifty-one percent of participants said they
delayed going to the doctor and 44 percent said they postpone filling
prescriptions or were taking less than prescribed.