A report published by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics found that health care costs for the elderly have risen dramatically since 1992.  The report, Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, provides an updated compendium of statistics designed to assess the well-being of Americans age 65 and older.  According to the report, health care costs for people over 65 increased from $9,224 per-person in 1992 to $15,081 per-person in 2006, adjusted for inflation.

From the report:

Americans age 65 and over are an important and growing segment of our population. Many federal agencies provide data on aspects of older Americans’ lives, but it can be difficult to fit the pieces together. Thus, it has become increasingly important for policymakers and the general public to have an accessible, easy-to-understand portrait that shows how older Americans are faring.

Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being (Older Americans 2010) provides a comprehensive picture of our older population’s health and well-being. It is the fifth chartbook prepared by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics (Forum), which now has 15 participating federal agencies. As with the earlier volumes, readers will find here an accessible compendium of indicators drawn from the most reliable official statistics. The indicators are again categorized into five broad groups: population, economics, health status, health risks and behaviors, and health care.

Full report: Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being (PDF | 15.9 MB) 

Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. (2010). Older Americans 2010: key indicators of well-being. Wallman, K.