Today's baby boomer is open to monitoring his or her own health. The population aged 62-80 are increasingly likely to own smartphones, smart watches, Wi-Fi in the home and other tech, such as hearables and chronic disease tracking tools. They may have hearing or vision limitations that could be assisted with new technology. They may have family members who are also interested in their wellbeing. A large number them may be solo agers, divorced, widowed and living alone or a long distance from family. The majority will remain in their own homes for as long as is feasible.
They will face a shortage of care providers no matter where they live. Wait times for new medical appointments are growing – up to a month in many areas. And the Association of American Medical Colleges says the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, according to a report the group released last year.alone or a long distance from family. The majority will remain in their own homes for as long as is feasible.
They will live for an unprecedented length of time, despite chronic disease prevalence. This is also a time when the government is interested in addressing lifestyle opportunities that could mitigate the level of chronic disease. CMS has just launched a $100 million towards creation of lifestyle pilot projects: The initiative will fund up to 30 chronic disease prevention and health promotion pilot projects aimed at integrating lifestyle and evidence-based functional medicine into original Medicare.
Many will be able to afford self-care and wellness technology. A recent Pew study noted that Americans want to live to be 91 and their wealth in their later years will be greater than prior generations. And at 65, the average life expectancy shows they will likely live to age 85, despite a notable percentage having at least on chronic disease.
Technology is increasingly likely to be ready for them. While the bulk of wellbeing tools are yet to be integrated either with each other or into Medicare offerings, in February CMS launched a library of digital health apps for Medicare beneficiaries. And 60 companies have pledged to collaborate with CMS on patient-facing health apps.
