The percentage change from 2010-2011, which bumped the average cost from $18,074 to $19,393, was slightly less than in previous years. The total includes the employers’ share of costs, but the employee share of the total grew at a faster rate than the employer’s. Employee out-of-pocket expenses grew by 9.2 percent from 2010-2011, compared to 6 percent for employers.
Patients’ inability to pay their medical bills may be rising along with healthcare costs; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average hourly earnings declined 0.3 percent from March to April 2011. Over the past year, earnings have declined 1.2 percent. According to the Thomson Reuters Consumer Healthcare Sentiment Index, more people are postponing, delaying or canceling medical care than they were last year.
High-deductible health plans are on the rise too; a report issued May 18 by the professional services firm PwC found that 17 percent of employers in 2011 said high-deductible health plans were their most common benefit design, compared to 13 percent in 2010.
Read the American Medical News report on healthcare costs and patient earnings.
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