Insurance Coverage & Costs
Access to Care
Uninsured and Low-Income
Racial/Ethnic Disparities
Safety Net Providers
Community Health Centers
Hospitals
Physicians
Insured People
Quality & Care Delivery
Health Care Markets
Issue Briefs
Data Bulletins
Research Briefs
Policy Analyses
Community Reports
Journal Articles
Other Publications
Surveys
Site Visits
Design and Methods
Data Files
Financial Burden of Health Care, 2001-2004
January/February 2008
Health AffairsVol. 27, No. 1
Jessica S. Banthin, Peter J. Cunningham, Didem M. Bernard
Analysis of data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) shows that rising out-of-pocket expenses and stagnant incomes increased health spending’s financial burden for families in 2001–2004, especially for the privately insured. High financial burdens among those with nongroup coverage increased by more than one-third. Despite evidence of increased cost sharing in private insurance plans, this analysis does not show that privately insured people paid a higher share of their total health care bill in 2004 compared to 2001. Financial burdens have increased to the point at which private insurance is no longer able to provide financial protection for an increasing number of families.
Free access to this Health Affairs article is available via the Commonwealth Fund Web site.
