Longevity has increased tremendously during the 20th century in the United States. Although women live longer today, they can expect increased and longer periods of chronic health problems. Women tend to have more chronic diseases and disabilities than men, partly because of their greater longevity. Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women over 65. Osteoporosis affects half of women over age 45 and 9 in 10 women over 75. Hospital use rates for midlife women and men are virtually indentical, but after age 65, men are more likely to be hospitalized than women. Employed women report fewer chronic health problems, days of incapacity, and health-related limitations on their activities than women not in the paid labor force. Most women aged 40 to 65 have employer-provided group health insurance, either through their own or their husband's employment. Women who have group health insurance through their spouse's employment can lose coverage when marital or work status changes. Medicaid does not fill in the gaps for most midlife women. Nearly all women age 65 and over (94 percent) are covered by Medicare, which pays for about half the health expenditures of the elderly. Medicare does not pay for long-term chronic care. Research on sexism in health care delivery has resulted in evidence that health care providers treat women differently from men. Many health research projects are conducted on men only. (A list of 47 sources is included.) (CML)