More Americans, especially Black adults, are dying before they can access Medicare benefits

Medical Xpress November 7, 2025
Brown University

For 60 years, Medicare has served as a social safety net. Workers pay into the system over their lifetimes with the expectation that they will be able to access affordable health care when they turn 65. But for a growing number of Americans, especially Black Americans, that expectation is going unfulfilled.

That’s according to a new study led by researchers at Brown University and Harvard University, which found that a rising number of premature deaths prevent many Americans from reaching the age of Medicare eligibility.