Why Every Generation Needs to Care About Medicare

Why should younger Americans care about Medicare?

Over 175 million Americans – more than 50% of the population – are part of the millennial generation or younger. As these younger Americans brace for depleted Social Security benefits by the time they reach retirement age, the COVID-19 pandemic has made evident that concerns about health care access and costs do not begin once someone’s nearly 70. Access to high-quality health care is an essential aspect of a lifelong pursuit of wellness for all Americans.

At the same time, for those who are decades away from qualifying for Medicare, health care policy decisions made by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services may seem completely irrelevant. Yet CMS decisions don’t just impact the more than 60 million Americans covered by Medicare.

Millennials, as well as Gen Xers and Gen Zers, need to care about Medicare because health care decisions made by CMS – including those that affect prescription drug coverage, physician pricing and surgery choices – can impact everyone.

Medicare initiatives often have spillover effects on private health care, as pointed to in a 2020 study examining the effect of warnings from CMS to primary care providers about heavily prescribing antipsychotic medication. Prescribing subsequently decreased for both Medicare and privately insured patients.

Health care decisions made by hospitals also can revolve around CMS policy.