Monday, October 27, 2008
Will the real economic security please stand up? The Elder Standard versus the federal poverty line in California
Time: 3:15 p.m. Abstract # 174273
Venue: Manchester Grand Hyatt, America's Cup B
The Federal Poverty Line is outdated, inaccurate, and inadequate for older adults, according to the creators of the Elder Economic Security Standard Index, a new way to measure income adequacy for older adults.
Problems with the existing Federal Poverty Line have been identified by groups as diverse as the National Academy of Sciences and Mayor Blumberg of New York. The presentation will show that:
- In California, the Federal Poverty Line is only about half the amount needed for basic costs faced by older adults.
- The new Elder Index is based on observations of senior citizen's everyday needs, from housing to food to health care.
- Improving the economic security for older adults through public policy, programs, and retirement planning requires the use of a modern, accurate, and realistic tool like the Elder Economic Security Standard index.
Visit our booth # 1519 to learn more.
The UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) is one of the nation’s leading health policy research centers and the premier source of health policy information for California. UCLA CHPR improves the public’s health through high quality, objective, and evidence-based research and data that informs effective policymaking. UCLA CHPR is the home of the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) and is part of the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and affiliated with the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs.