Notably, nearly a quarter of hospital readmissions in the Medicare cohort are considered potentially avoidable. An additional 10% of the total cost was due to readmissions through emergency transports alone, which are common in older adults. In 2015, for example, total Medicare expenditure was $632 billion approximately 25% of this cost was due to in-hospital care. Rising health expenditures of older adults put increasing fiscal pressure on Medicare, a federal health insurance program for US citizens who are 65 years and older, younger people with certain disabilities, and those who suffer from end stage renal disease. Studies suggest that as people age, the risk of chronic diseases increases, leading to higher healthcare spending in later years. Advances in healthcare have succeeded in helping people live longer, but the gains have not translated to healthier lives in later life. In the United States (US), it is estimated that between 20 the proportion of individuals 65 years and older will nearly double. In most developing and developed countries, older adults are increasingly becoming the largest age bracket due to increasing longevity and lower fertility rates.
