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Poverty Rate for FL Seniors 17% on New Scale

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

Using a revised version of the Census Bureau's poverty measure, which takes into account medical expenses, the rate of poverty among those 65 and older is much higher than previously estimated, according to a studyby the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The national rate on the official poverty scale is 9 percent, but under the supplemental scale, it is 15 percent, the study reports. In Florida, the difference is even greater: It jumps from 9 percent to 17 percent.

Originally founded in December 2006 as an independent grassroots publication dedicated to coverage of health issues in Florida, Health News Florida was acquired by WUSF Public Media in September 2012.