More Than Half of Older Californians Have Complex Health Conditions, But Few Get Help Navigating Their Care
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Older Californians Are a Growing Segment of the State’s Population
By 2030, it’s estimated that one in five Californians will be 65 or older, making them eligible for Medicare. To better understand and prepare to meet the health care needs of this growing population segment, California’s Office of Medicare Innovation and Integration and The SCAN Foundation partnered with NORC to study the experiences, needs, and opinions of California’s current and future Medicare beneficiaries. Using our TrueNorth® calibration tool, which combines probability sample data from our AmeriSpeak® panel with data from a nonprobability panel, we conducted 1,540 phone and online interviews with a representative sample of residents who were 55 and older in 2022.
“Even though more than three-quarters of older Californians report having at least one chronic health condition, less than a quarter have an individualized care plan to take into account their personal goals and preferences for their care.”
Only 1 in 5 Respondents Reported Having a Care Manager
Among the findings: 93 percent of respondents needed some kind of health care in the six months preceding the survey, and 56 percent reported two or more chronic conditions. Despite this high percentage, just 22 percent had a care manager to coordinate their care and help them navigate what can be a tricky health care landscape. The survey also included questions about difficulties receiving care, social isolation, and caregiving.
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