Current Health Concerns for Baby Boomers

Considering the fact that the average baby boomer lives longer today than their predecessors, it is easy to understand why health care would be a major concern. As baby boomers are aging, they find themselves not only faced with health related issues, but also the rising cost of health care and the decline in coverage.

As baby boomers contend with a myriad of health problems, from breast cancer to erectile dysfunction, they also contend with the fact that fewer companies are continuing to provide health care for retirees. In 2007, only 45% of large companies subsidized health insurance for early retirees, compared with 88% in 1991. As a result, baby boomers find the need to postpone retirement until age 65, or at least until age 62 when they can qualify for Medicare.

Generally speaking, baby boomers are primarily concerned with screening and prevention in an effort to maintain their health for a longer period of time. A primary reason for this is that baby boomers today face a new set of challenges. They have fewer children to care for them, along with the fact that children live greater distances from their parents than in previous generations. Consequently, there is a greater need for them to maintain their health to care for themselves.

A balanced diet, along with daily exercise and yearly screenings will aid baby boomers in combating some of the primary health issues they are facing today, such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and obesity. Women and men both should also get annual screenings that will detect breast, prostate, or colon cancer. Also, they should get flu shots and vaccinations to prevent pneumonia.