How long are Railroaders living?

Understanding Railroad Retirement Beneficiaries’ Longevity

The Railroad Retirement Board’s (RRB) analysis, derived from the Twenty-Eighth Actuarial Valuation conducted as of December 31, 2019, reveals vital insights into the life expectancies of various beneficiary categories within the railroad retirement system. These comprehensive studies encompass male and female age annuitants, disability annuitants, spouses, and widows.

Trends in Life Expectancies

Comparisons between the studies from the Twenty-Eighth and Twenty-Seventh valuations highlight an overall increase in life expectancies for most beneficiary groups, except for female age annuitants. Notably, life expectancies for male railroad retirement age annuitants have shown improvement over the past two decades, albeit at a decelerated pace in recent years.

Significance of Life Expectancies

Life expectancies serve as crucial indicators for benefit payouts, as benefits are typically disbursed until the beneficiary’s demise. For spouses and widows, specific events such as the employee’s death or widow’s remarriage can impact benefit continuity.

Variations in Longevity Among Beneficiaries

The disparities in longevity across different categories of railroad retirement beneficiaries and compares them with life expectancy figures for the overall U.S. population. For instance, a male railroad worker retiring at 65 can anticipate receiving annuities for around 18.5 years, while a female retiring at the same age has a life expectancy of 20.8 years, indicating a 2.3-year difference.

Insights into Disability Beneficiaries’ Longevity

The data highlights disparities in the life expectancies of disability beneficiaries based on when they became disabled. Newly disabled individuals generally have lower life expectancies compared to those disabled for an extended period. For instance, a person disabled at 55 may expect to live an average of 21.3 years, while one disabled for more than 5 years has a life expectancy of 21.6 years.

Survival Probabilities

The probabilities of survival for specific periods among different railroad retirement beneficiary groups. For example, among 1,000 male age annuitants at 65, around 936 are expected to survive for at least 5 years, while only 457 are projected to be alive after 20 years. Similarly, among 1,000 female age annuitants at 65, around 958 are expected to survive for at least 5 years approximately 560 are anticipated to be alive after 20 years.

Considerations and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The report underscores that the experience studies don’t cover the pandemic years. Preliminary data indicates higher-than-expected mortality rates during the pandemic, particularly for older individuals and those with disabilities. This could marginally reduce life expectancies, yet the introduction of effective vaccines in 2021 has mitigated some adverse impacts. However, the long-term effects of the pandemic on life expectancies remain uncertain.

Closing

In conclusion, these findings from the RRB’s studies provide valuable insights into the longevity of railroad retirement beneficiaries, aiding in understanding benefit disbursement, planning, and highlighting the impact of diverse factors on life expectancies in this specialized demographic.