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Silver hair, silver dollars: Wyoming’s aging population means big spending for the state

April 25, 2024 /

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Bear Paw Development Corporation is a private non-profit organization created for the purpose of administering programs to help improve regional economic conditions in Hill, Blaine, Liberty, Chouteau and Phillips Counties and the Fort Belknap and Rocky Boy's Indian Reservations.

Should the Cowboy State be renamed the Silver State? Wyoming’s overall population grew by just 2.5% between 2010 and 2021, but its population over 65 soared to over 47 percent in the same time frame, according to a health aging data report by the University of Wyoming and UMass Boston.

As more residents age, the cost of care will increase. with Medicaid Long-Term Care costs in Wyoming expected to rise from $125 million at the time of the report to $260 million by 2040, according to a 2023 Wyoming Department of Health report,