Alignment Health's 2026 Social Threats to Aging Well in America
Read about the social and environmental factors shaping older adults' ability to maintain their health, independence and access to care in Alignment Health's 2026 Social Threats to Aging Well in America survey.
About the Study
A total of 2,291 surveys were conducted online among U.S. residents aged 65 and older. Surveys were available in both English and Spanish.
The study included a nationally representative sample of 2,000 adults ages 65 and older, supplemented by an additional 291 interviews to support state-level analysis. Additional interviews were conducted in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and North Carolina. Texas and California were also included in state-level analyses, but additional sample boosts were not required in those states.
The poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for all respondents, plus or minus 11.9 percentage points for respondents in Arizona, plus or minus 9.2 percentage points for respondents in California, plus or minus 9.3 percentage points for respondents in Florida, plus or minus 10.5 percentage points for respondents in Nevada, plus or minus 11.1 percentage points for respondents in North Carolina, and plus or minus 10.5 percentage points for respondents in Texas.
The group labeled "Nat'l" (national 65+) is representative of the U.S. population age 65 and older in terms of age, gender, race/ethnicity, income and region.
Weights were only applied at the national level (individual states were not weighted separately). State-level findings reflect the views of surveyed respondents in those states only and should not be interpreted as representative state population estimates.
The 2026 survey found that 90% of seniors report at least one factor affecting their ability to maintain their health, independence or access to care. Aging in place challenges (i.e., difficulty maintaining independence, remaining safely at home, or managing physical limitations), access to healthcare (i.e., difficulty finding care, obtaining appointments, or accessing providers) and economic instability (i.e., concerns about affording healthcare and basic living expenses, medical debt, and rising costs) remain the most significant barriers affecting seniors nationally. The study also found that 26% of seniors skipped needed medical care during the past year, while 57% experienced stress or anxiety during the past 12 months.
In addition to identifying the barriers seniors face, the survey explored interest in services and supports that extend beyond traditional healthcare. The most frequently selected benefit was personalized wellness recommendations based on medical history and information shared with a health plan (59%), followed by 24/7 access to doctors by phone or video (57%). Nearly one-half of seniors would use help paying for groceries (49%) or fresh food delivery (47%) if offered by their health plan.
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