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Poverty Rate for FL Seniors 17% on New Scale

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 study by 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.

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Health News Florida is now part of WUSF Public Media in Tampa, Florida.