The State of Idaho's 50+: Worried About Health Care Costs & Finances

AARP Survey Details Dreams, Concerns & Woes of Age Group in Idaho

BOISE, Idaho, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While they may dream of travel, many of Idaho's 50+ worry about health care costs, struggle to pay their utility bills and cite having enough money to retire as a top challenge, according to an AARP survey providing a detailed look at the age group in the Gem State.

Key findings from the survey, Voices of 50+ Idaho (http://bit.ly/gBePOb), include:  

Top dreams:
44% said they've always wanted to do more travelling, followed by 23% who want to find more time for hobbies.

Party affiliation:
Idaho's 50+ population leans Republican by a hair (32%), closely followed by those who say they are Independent (30%, then Democrat: 18%; something else: 12%; Tea Party: 1%; and the rest either don't know or didn't answer), with political views overwhelmingly conservative (56%, 23% moderate, and 12% liberal).  

Health care and health issues:
Nearly half (47%) said health care was a top problem, 51% were concerned about increasing costs, while 40% worried about financial devastation due to health care costs.  More than one in four survey respondents said the quality of health care in Idaho is worse today than it was five years ago.

Finances and economy:
44% were very to extremely satisfied with their personal financial situation and 56% were only somewhat to not all satisfied, with just over one third citing economic issues, including having enough money to retire, as a top challenge. 41% reported having difficulty paying for their electric utility bill.

Unemployment:
While the unemployment rate for the group was 6%, significantly less than Idaho's 9.7% rate, a recent AARP study (http://t.co/2CZC0lH) found many remain unemployed for roughly 52 weeks, about 17 weeks longer than their younger counterparts.

Top issues of importance:
96% said staying healthy and mentally sharp were the most importance issues.  However, the overwhelming majority report they don't have everything they need in order to accomplish their most important goals.

The annotated survey is available online: http://bit.ly/fBxpmF

AARP is Idaho's largest membership organization with 180,000 members.

Follow us on Twitter @AARPIdaho and Facebook: AARP Idaho

SOURCE AARP Idaho