Elderly singles or couples in California, whose income is above the Federal Poverty Level but still below what’s required to maintain a basic quality of life, are almost twice as likely to say they’re in “poor” or “fair” health…feel depressed…and can’t get timely health care…compared to their wealthier counterparts. That’s according to a new fact sheet from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Lead author Stephen Wallace says there are almost two and a half times as many “hidden poor” Californians 65 and older as there are those who live below the poverty line…

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According to Wallace’s 2013 Elder Index, a senior couple with a mortgage in Nevada County must make 380-percent of the Federal Poverty Level to pay for basic living expenses, or over 43-thousand dollars a year. And he says the Affordable Care Act has not helped seniors that much…

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Wallace says it’s time for state and federal policymakers to address the needs of this vulnerable group and have programs that help them obtain basic necessities.