Health
Most US adults worry about future of Medicare, Social Security, Gallup poll finds: ‘Magnitude of concern’
Adults in the U.S. are more worried than ever about whether Medicare and Social Security benefits will be available when they need them.
In response to a Gallup poll released in June, 75% of adults age 65 and younger said they are “worried” or “extremely worried” about lack of Medicare availability, according to a press release.
When it comes to Social Security benefits, 80% of survey respondents said the same.
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Both of those percentages have increased since the last poll in 2022.
The data came from the West Health-Gallup 2024 Survey on Aging in America, which polled 5,149 adults 18 and older between November 2023 and January 2024.
In response to a Gallup poll released last month, 75% of adults 65 and younger said they are “worried” or “extremely worried” about lack of Medicare availability. (iStock)
The older the respondents, the more likely they were to consider Social Security and Medicare important — 87% of adults 65 or older said they were the “highest priority” programs, twice as many compared to those between 18 and 29 years of age, according to the results.
The poll also found that more than half of Americans are “somewhat more likely” or “much more likely” to make voting decisions based on their support of programs that affect older adults — and among adults 65 and older, that figure rises to 77%.
“The overwhelming majority of people do not think the U.S. is doing enough to address the needs of its growing aging population.”
Timothy Lash, president of West Health, a California nonprofit focused on health care and aging that partnered with Gallup to conduct the poll, said the findings showed the “magnitude of concern” people have about aging.
“High and rising concerns over the future viability of Medicare and Social Security and the high cost of health care dominate people’s thinking on aging,” Lash told Fox News Digital via email.
The older the respondents, the more likely they were to consider Social Security and Medicare important, the poll found. (iStock)
“The overwhelming majority of people do not think the U.S. is doing enough to address the needs of its growing aging population.”
By 2034, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that adults 65 and older will outnumber children under 18 for the first time, he noted.
What can people do?
Those who are concerned should communicate with their policymakers and elected officials, Lash advised.
“A whopping two-thirds of Americans feel the country is not prepared to address the overall needs of its rapidly growing older population, and these concerns may influence who they vote for in upcoming elections,” he said.
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Among increasing concerns over health care affordability and the future of Medicare and Social Security, Lash said, “Americans need to look at who is going to rein in the high cost of health care and protect and strengthen safety net programs for future seniors.”
As the aging population continues to grow, Lash emphasized the importance of addressing their needs and challenges.
“It’s up to all of us to work to reduce the concerns over aging and raise the promise and hope of growing older in America,” he added.
As the aging population continues to grow, an expert emphasized the importance of addressing its needs and challenges. (iStock)
Whitney Stidom, vice president of Medicare Operations at eHealth in Salt Lake City, said she was not surprised by the Gallup poll’s findings.
“As we enter the last few months of the election [season], candidates from both parties should be clear that it’s not only seniors who care about the future of Medicare — younger people care, too,” Stidom told Fox News Digital via email.
“It’s up to all of us to work to reduce the concerns over aging and raise the promise and hope of growing older in America.”
In a March survey by eHealth, 78% of millennials and Gen Xers identified Medicare as a “top-three” voting issue, and 84% said they were willing to contribute more in payroll taxes to ensure its future, according to Stidom.
“We are anticipating unprecedented volatility in the Medicare Advantage marketplace due to continued financial pressures within the entire health care industry, regulatory changes, and the inevitable sticker shock that consumers will see when their plan notices of change arrive in the mail come September’s annual enrollment period,” she said.
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To help avoid cost increases or loss of certain benefits in 2025, Stidom encourages seniors to review their Plan Notice of Change letters carefully as soon as they arrive — and to go over their options with a trusted, licensed adviser.
“Medicare provides a crucial lifeline for over 65 million Americans who depend on this vital program for their health care needs,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told Fox News Digital in a statement. (Getty Images)
“Don’t wait until the last minute to make selections for next year,” she added.
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When contacted by Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided the following statement.
“Medicare provides a crucial lifeline for over 65 million Americans who depend on this vital program for their health care needs. The Biden-Harris Administration has taken many actions to strengthen Medicare while improving its sustainability, and has proposed enhancements that would extend its solvency while strengthening benefits. CMS is committed to protecting Medicare now and for future generations.”
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A new review suggests that the type of fat you eat may affect your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin.
Meanwhile, monounsaturated fats rich in oleic acid — such as those found in olive oil — may help protect against insulin resistance, the review concluded.
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“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, told Fox News Digital. She was not involved in the review.
“Oleic acid, on the other hand, is in higher concentration in foods like olive oil, canola oil, nuts, sunflower seeds, eggs, olive, avocados and also in meats (beef, chicken, pork), milk, cheese and pasta.”
Saturated fats rich in palmitic acid – the most common saturated fatty acid in U.S. foods – appear to make it harder for the body to respond to insulin. (iStock)
The review, which was published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism, was led by researchers from the University of Barcelona and the CIBER Area for Diabetes and Associated Metabolic Diseases (CIBERDEM) in Spain.
The findings suggest that fat quality may be more important than total fat quantity when it comes to metabolic health and diabetes risk.
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This appears to support the idea that diets rich in monounsaturated fats, such as the Mediterranean diet, may contribute to lower rates of type 2 diabetes.
“Palmitic acid promotes several molecular processes that impair insulin action,” study investigator Dr. Manuel Vázquez-Carrera, from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutic Chemistry at the University of Barcelona, told Fox News Digital.
“Palmitic acid is found in meats, dairy products, cocoa butter and in the form of palm oil in foods, including margarine, cereal, sweets, baked goods and fast foods,” a nutritionist said. (iStock)
Too much palmitic acid can cause harmful fat byproducts to build up in the body, which can impair the body’s ability to respond to insulin, he warned. This makes it harder to control blood sugar and increases the risk of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
“It also promotes inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and cellular stress responses, which contribute to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction,” Vázquez-Carrera added.
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By contrast, oleic acid – a hallmark of the Mediterranean diet – does not have these harmful effects, according to the researcher.
“In fact, oleic acid can counteract many of the detrimental effects triggered by palmitic acid, by promoting the storage of fatty acids in relatively inert triglycerides, preserving mitochondrial function and reducing inflammation,” he said.
“All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Freirich confirmed that the review is consistent with previous research supporting the use of olive oil in the diet for metabolic benefits.
“Also confirming previous research, the consumption of saturated fats is associated with some negative metabolic changes,” she told Fox News Digital.
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Given the complexity of foods and diets, there is an overlap between foods that contain both types of fatty acids, the nutritionist noted.
“Palmitic acid and oleic acid can both be found in olive oil, baked goods and fast foods, in differing amounts,” she said. “All sources of fat in our diet contain a mix of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.”
Study limitations
Vázquez-Carrera noted that these findings come from a review of numerous experimental, clinical and epidemiological studies rather than a single clinical trial.
“One important limitation is that much of the mechanistic evidence comes from cell culture and animal studies,” he said.
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“Although these studies provide valuable insights into how specific fatty acids affect insulin signaling, further human intervention studies are needed to confirm the extent to which these mechanisms operate in everyday dietary settings.”
In addition, many of the human studies in the review relied on self-reported dietary intake, which can introduce inaccuracies.
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, the researcher noted. (iStock)
“Another challenge is that people consume foods containing complex mixtures of fatty acids and bioactive compounds rather than isolated fatty acids,” Vázquez-Carrera added. “Therefore, it remains difficult to fully disentangle the specific contribution of individual fatty acids in free-living populations.”
Nutritional recommendations
The review’s findings appear to support current dietary recommendations that emphasize replacing part of the saturated fat intake with unsaturated fats, according to Vázquez-Carrera.
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“This means favoring dietary patterns rich in foods such as extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds, legumes, vegetables, fruits and fish, while limiting excessive consumption of foods rich in saturated fats, especially highly processed foods,” he advised.
The review does not suggest that a single nutrient alone determines diabetes risk, the researcher pointed out.
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“Rather, maintaining a healthy body weight, engaging in regular physical activity and following an overall healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, remain fundamental strategies for preventing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.”
Type 2 diabetes develops over many years, with genetics, lifestyle and environmental factors all playing a role, Vázquez-Carrera noted.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, the review suggests. (iStock)
“Future research should move beyond simply classifying fats as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and instead focus on understanding how specific fatty acids, their dietary sources and their interactions within whole dietary patterns affect metabolic health,” he said.
Improving the quality of dietary fat intake could prove to be an effective strategy for reducing type 2 diabetes risk, according to the researcher.
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“A simple takeaway for consumers is to swap out foods high in saturated fat more often with foods rich in heart-healthy fats, like olive oil, nuts and avocados, to better support blood sugar and metabolic health,” advised New Jersey-based registered dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, who was also not involved in the review.
Anyone at a higher risk for type 2 diabetes should consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on nutrition, exercise and other preventive measures, experts say.
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