Out-of-Pocket Healthcare Costs Rise as Utilization is Unchanged

Patient Engagement January 24, 2018
Sara Heath

Out-of-pocket healthcare costs for patients increased by 3.6 percent in 2016, despite the fact that service utilization stayed the same or, in same cases, decreased.

Patient financial responsibility and out-of-pocket healthcare costs are increasing, despite the fact that healthcare utilization has remained stagnant, according to a recent report from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI).

HCCI’s 2016 Health Care Cost and Utilization Report analyzed cost and use patterns for patients up to age 65 who are covered by employer-sponsored health plans. The analysis revealed that out-of-pocket spending for patients rose 3.6 percent in 2016, a growth increase from 2.9 percent in 2015.

Patients paid an average total of $848 of their own money for their healthcare in 2016. This reflects...

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