‘Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Work for NH’

Social Security

• Social Security provided benefits to 254,752 New Hampshire residents in 2010, 1 out of 5 residents, including 167,720 retired workers, 42,504 disabled workers, 15,956 widow(er)s, 7,922 spouses and20,650 children.

• Social Security provided benefits totaling over $3.4 billion in 2010, an amount equivalent to 5.5 percent of the state’s annual GDP (the total value of all goods and services produced).

• The average Social Security benefit in 2010 was $13,386.

• Social Security lifted 73,000 New Hampshire residents out of poverty in 2008. Without Social Security, the poverty rate of elderly women would increase from 8.3 percent to 46.5 percent.

Medicare

• 208,074 New Hampshire residents received Medicare benefits in 2009—1 out of 6 state residents. 172,727 of New Hampshire’s Medicare beneficiaries were aged 65 or older in 2009—8 out of 10 beneficiaries. 37,114 of New Hampshire’s Medicare beneficiaries were people with disabilities in 2009—1 out of 6 beneficiaries.

• Medicare provided $1.9 billion in benefits in 2009—18.4 percent of all health care spending in the state. 

• The average expenditure per Medicare beneficiary was $9,155.

Medicaid

• 159,262 New Hampshire residents received Medicaid benefits in 2009—1 out of 8 state residents. 15,464 of New Hampshire’s Medicaid beneficiaries were aged 65 or older in 2009—1 out of 10 beneficiaries. 27,574 of New Hampshire’s Medicaid beneficiaries were people with disabilities in 2009—1 out of 6 beneficiaries.

• A total of $1.3 billion in Medicaid benefits were paid in 2009—12.8 percent of all health care spending in the state. The average expenditure per Medicaid beneficiary was $8,333.

• Medicaid provided $572 million in long-term care benefits for New Hampshire residents in 2009, including providing nursing home care for 4,410 nursing home residents, 2 out of 3 of state residents enrolled in nursing homes.

Source: Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid Work for New Hampshire, a report prepared by Social Security Works in partnership with the Alliance for Retired Americans.