Exam 12: Diversity and Aging

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There is evidence of a crossover phenomenon once Blacks reach age 85-that is, the remaining life expectancy for Blacks is higher than that of Whites. At age 65, White people can expect to live an average 1.3 years longer than Black people, but at age 85, life expectancy is 3 months higher for Black people.

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On May 9, 2012, President Barack Obama became the first sitting president to endorse the legalization of same-sex marriage. This was one of several catalysts for a groundbreaking change in public health policy. Between 2008 and 2015, 37 states allowed gay marriage, 13 through voter or legislator approval and 24 through court rulings. Paralleling the cumulative legalization of marriages in states was a series of surveys by ABC/Washington Post and Gallup reporting a steadily increasing acceptance of gay marriage, until more than half of the general public approved it by 2015. And then came the Supreme Court decision in June 2015 that legalized gay marriage nationwide. And while considerable prejudice and discrimination remain, along with a need for more and better agency service and staff training programs, this one act unleashed many legal rights for the LGBT community. These rights include eligibility for Social Security spousal benefits, as well as for 401(k) and other pension plans, health insurance, and inheritances associated with one's spouse. There is also Medicaid protection for the assets and homes of same-sex marriage partners; eligibility for the Family and Medical Leave Act, which guarantees 12 weeks of unpaid leave to employees to care for family; hospital visitation rights; filing of joint tax returns; and every other marital right previously denied to the LGBT community.