Public Policy & Aging E-Newsletter

Volume 1, Number 5, September 2007

This bimonthly e-newsletter highlights key developments and viewpoints in the field of aging policy from a wide variety of sources, including articles and reports circulating in the media, academy, think tanks, private sector, government and nonprofit organizations.

The goal of this email publication is to reach teachers, students, and citizens interested in aging-related issues, especially those who may not have access to policy information disseminated both in Washington and around the country.

I. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN WASHINGTON?

A. Think Tanks Talk Back: This provocative Washington Post article by Robert J. Samuelson criticizes think tanks as failing to offer ways to address "the huge budget costs of aging baby boomers." Representatives from 10 think tanks beg to differ. View Samuelson's article and the think tanks' responses to Samuelson's criticism here.

B. Gateway to the Older Americans Act, Amendments of 2006: Click here to read an outline summary of the 2006 Amendments to the Older Americans Act.

C. Achieving Universal Coverage Through Medicare Part E(veryone): From the Brookings Institution, Medicare Part E(veryone) proposes health insurance coverage that would be universal, continuous, and affordable; it would adopt Medicare rules and payment systems to provide the same benefits to the enrollees in Medicare Part E(veryone) as current Medicare beneficiaries receive today. Click here to view.

II. WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY?

A. 2007 Older Worker Profiles: The Census Bureau has launched a series of reports on older workers that present a detailed picture of people 55 and older in the work force. 31 states in all were profiled, with the first reports released on Maine and Iowa. Additional reports will be published in the coming months. Click here to view.

B. Mapping the Growth of Older America: Seniors and Boomers in the Early 21st Century: This survey by Brookings scholar William Frey maps future changes in America's senior population as upcoming generations either migrate or "age in place"-that is, grow older in their existing locations-across the national landscape. The survey reflects on the emerging state and local aspects of a growing, but geographically uneven, U.S. senior population. The survey can be found here.

C. How do older Americans spend their time?: Little attention has been devoted to how older Americans spend their time. A new report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics seeks to understand how older Americans spend their time and how their time use changes at key life events, such as retirement. Click here to view.

III. THIS ISSUE'S MAJOR POLICY STORY: THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH ON THE AGING BRAIN

Arguably research on the aging brain has affected fundamental changes in the ways we think about our future selves. Basic research in gerontology in the past altered applications in the health-care arena and in the delivery of social services; bio-medical-psycho-social investigations gave rise to the successful multidisciplinary, multicultural center On Lok in San Francisco. More recent examples include the insinuation of spirituality in the clinic, and the place of forgiveness in generational dynamics. Scientists, psychologists, and social workers are not alone in rethinking the manner in which the brain shuts down some functions and is capable of regenerating others.

The editors of this E-Newsletter think that policymakers and policy analysts should consider the likely implications of recent research on how we view older people's capacity to participate in society. A century ago scientists thought it impossible for "old dogs to learn new tricks." We now know otherwise. Bio-medical and environmental interventions affect work force issues. Baby boomers are quite equipped to be mature workers, with appropriate training. And people in the policy arena can imagine broader definitions of "civic engagement." We offer here articles that explain basic scientific data in non-technical terms. Many pursue the practical applications of basic science. I hope that you find this section intriguing.

- Andy Achenbaum

A. Road Map to Cognitive Health: In order to maintain and improve the cognitive performance of all adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Alzheimer's Association have released the first-ever "National Public Health Road Map to Maintaining Cognitive Health." The Road Map serves as a guide for implementing a coordinated approach to raising the public's awareness about cognitive health and increasing the nation's commitment to understanding both the risks for cognitive decline and ways of maintaining brain health. Click here to view.

B. The Brain Changes as it Ages, Sometimes in Surprising Ways: The increased need to understand the effects of aging on mental abilities is driven by the potential consequences of an increasingly aged population. This report by the Population Reference Bureau discusses research that may reduce the strain of worldwide aging, which is predicted to have an enormous impact on labor forces, health care systems, and family support networks. Click here to view.

C. AARP's Staying Sharp Program: Staying Sharp, a joint project of the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and NRTA, AARP's Educator Community, focuses on understanding how the brain works and how we can maximize brain function and brain health, particularly in the second half of our lives. The changes are bound to affect health-care costs. It may promote greater interest in mental-health issues. Read about this break-though initiative here.

D. Cognitive Aging-Imaging, Emotion, and Memory: Click here to read a newsletter by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) that examines several aspects of cognitive function in older adults, particularly ways in which they think differently and what can be done to enhance cognition or strengthen thought processes.

E. 2005-2006 Progress Report on Alzheimer's Disease: Journey to Discovery: The National Institute on Aging's Alzheimer's Disease (AD) research program is integral to one of the Institute's main goals, which is to enhance the quality of life of older people by expanding knowledge about the aging brain and nervous system. This 2005-2006 Progress Report summarizes recent AD research conducted or supported by NIA. Click here to view.

F. Video Web Seminar-Building Awareness and Actions to Promote Brain Health: The American Society on Aging announces a new online resource: a streaming video web cast of a session from the 2007 ASA-NCOA Joint Conference presents findings from surveys conducted by ASA, the Alzheimer's Association and AARP on public perceptions about elders' brain health. Easy, free registration required. This web cast is available to view only through October 31, 2007. Click here to watch the presentation.

IV. WORTH NOTING

A. What Today's Women Need to Know-A Retirement Journey: The MetLife Mature Market Institute and the Women's Institute for a Secure Retirement surveyed women of different generations to find out how retirement has changed from the past generation of retired women. The booklet contains a retirement savings and planning checklist for each decade with guidelines for women from their 20s to their 70s. Click here to view.

B. Women and Social Security: Click here to view a brief by the American Academy of Actuaries, which discusses the fact that women are more reliant on Social Security, yet on average receive lower benefits than men.

C. An Oldie But Goodie-The Importance of Social Security as Source of Retirement Income: Social Security remains the only universal source of retirement income for the vast majority of Americans; for most, it is the most relevant source of retirement income after a lifetime of hard work. The Center for American Progress has released a new report on the significance of Social Security as a source of income, which can be found here.

D. Is There Really a Retirement Savings Crisis? An NRRI Analysis: This brief from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College revisits the National Retirement Risk Index (NRRI) and examines the possibility of a retirement savings crisis among the soon-to-be-retired Baby Boomers. Click here to view.

V. WHAT'S HAPPENING ABROAD?

A. Population Aging Impact Differs Across Countries: According to this brief by the Population Reference Bureau, the aging of the planet's population will play out differently in well-off developed nations versus less-affluent developing ones. This difference is linked to the state of health, as well as age-structure profiles, in developed and developing nations. Click here to view.

B. Global Aging Pressures-Impact of Fiscal Adjustment, Policy Cooperation, and Structural Reforms: Demographic pressures will materialize in many economies over the next few decades. The International Monetary Fund examines the macroeconomic impact of alternative fiscal adjustment and structural reform strategies to address these global aging pressures using the Global Fiscal Model. Click here to view.

C. Ageing in Ireland, 2007: Click here to read a brief published by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland that examines the lives of people age 65 and over in Ireland. Ireland has the lowest proportion of its population age 65 and over among EU countries.

VI. PERSPECTIVES ON POLICY: ROB HUDSON, EDITOR, PP&AR

Among other "good-read links" in this issue of PP&A E-Newsletter is that from the Washington Post "Think Tank Town" feature. In the exchange posted here, ten think tanks, ranging from the libertarian Cato Institute to the progressive Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, respond to columnist Robert Samuelson's saying none of these organizations was centrally addressing the presumed crisis represented by future Social Security and Medicare budget obligations. Through these responses, readers get a good sense of how varied our response to these indisputable spending pressures could be. In particular they raise the question of whether we should impose benefit cuts or premium increases on current and future beneficiaries in these age-based universal programs.

Equally intriguing is contrasting this debate with the current one in Washington and the states centered on the future of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-Chip). The S-Chip debate is to what degree should eligibility be expanded for a means-tested program, in particular whether to allow children in households with incomes up to 300 percent or even 400 percent of the poverty level to be eligible for benefits. In the case of Medicare, one option would be to income-test premiums, with higher income people paying for the same set of benefits. In short, what presents itself here are two seemingly very different sets of policy options: in one case, whether or not to expand eligibility of a means-tested program for children which is funded out of general revenues and, in the other, whether to income test the financing of a program for which all older people are eligible. Different as they seem, this debate introduces shades of gray between major public assistance and social insurance programs, policy types which are usually seen in dichotomous fashion. For a debate about the wisdom of income-testing Medicare premiums, click here.

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Newsletter Editors: Ellyn Emsley and Greg O'Neill, National Academy on an Aging Society; Andy Achenbaum, University of Houston.

The Public Policy and Aging E-Newsletter is supported in part by a grant from the AARP Office of Academic Affairs.