In the past, living longer was associated with having better health in one’s older years.  A new study by researchers at the University of Southern California indicates that this relationship is no longer true.

The study analyzed the increase in life expectancy among Americans between 1970 and 2010.  In turns out that most of the increase in life expectancy is in the time that an individual suffers from a major illness or disability.

That finding links the increase in life expectancy with a dramatic increase in healthcare costs.  However, there have been no changes in government funding of Medicare or Social Security Disability to match the change in need.

Source:  http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303120