Biomedical Ethics in the Year 2000:

The elderly are disproportionate consumers of health care resources. The major burden for these health care costs is being borne by the public. As more and more of our elderly live longer and consume even more of these finite resources, access to these resources will be restricted and they will be placed at ever increasing levels of risk. The history, current status, and future "projections" for elderly health and health care access are presented.