[Demographic characteristics of elderly people provided with supplementary health care]

To assess health coverage of elderly people receiving supplementary health care and these users' sociodemographic characteristics.Descriptive study of elderly population living in Brazil and in the states of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in 2006. Data was collected from the National Supplementary Care Beneficiary Information System and the National Household Sample Survey. The following variables were studied: gender, age, distribution by federal unit, category of health insurance, type of contract and plan segmentation.Higher coverage of the general population was seen in the age groups 70-79 years (26.7% and 80 years and more (30.2%). Of those aged 80 years and more, 33% had private health plans among women and 25.9% among men. Nearly 80% of health insurance beneficiaries were living in southeastern and southern Brazil, of which 55% were in Rio-São Paulo axis. Health maintenance organizations covered a higher proportion of younger compared to elderly population (39% and 34.5%, respectively) and self-management care plans covered a significantly higher proportion of elderly compared to younger population in Brazil (22.8% and 13.8%, respectively).Elderly health care coverage was significantly high and age groups over 70 years showed the highest coverage rates among the Brazilian population, especially among women.