Health Care Costs
Until recently, religious institutes were largely self-sufficient, with members’ stipends for ministry supporting the majority of community expenses. However, as membership declined after the 1960s and the average age increased, significant financial issues emerged. The general practice of investing earnings and stipends into ministry and education meant that pension funds were non-existent or seriously underfunded. The commitment to caring for elder and dying members posed a new and sometimes overwhelming challenge.
Today the average annual cost of care for women and men religious age 70 and over is roughly $35,000. Skilled nursing care can reach $55,000. In 2008, the total cost of living for more than 35,000 women and men religious age 70 or over exceeded $1.1 billion. These increases, along with recent declines in investment values, have contributed to a projected unfunded retirement liability for religious communities of $11 billion.
Cost of Care 1987-2009 
