JustCare

Tag: Health care

  • Are you spending as much on health care as you are on food?

    Are you spending as much on health care as you are on food?

    If you have Medicare, you might just be spending as much on health care as you are on food: health care is typically 13.9% of household spending.As you age, watch out. Your healthcare costs can eat up a huge portion of your total household spending.

    Healthcare spending often represents a large share of overall household spending, particularly for older adults with Medicare, living on fixed incomes, who need significant amounts of care.  For sure, you spend a larger portion of your income on health care as you age and as your income decreases.  And, of course, the more health care you need, especially if you need long-term care, the more likely a greater portion of your income goes to health care.

    Household spending on health care is significantly higher on average for people with Medicare. As of 2012, the typical Medicare household has a lower income, $33,993, and higher health care costs than younger household’s income, $53,000. In 2012 Medicare households spent 13.9% of their total household spending on healthcare costs, $4722, whereas non-Medicare households spent closer to 5%, $2722.

    So, what do people spend their health care dollars on? Mostly they are paying a lot for health insurance, such as premiums and coinsurance payments. Premiums alone typically account for two-thirds of total spending for people with Medicare, a yearly average of $3088. Other out-of-pocket costs include an average of $873 for medical services, $613 for prescription drugs, and $149 for medical supplies. The share of healthcare costs mirrors the cost of food and transportation for Medicare households.

    Click here to read more from Kaiser Family Foundation.

  • Why does my healthcare cost so much?

    Why does my healthcare cost so much?

    Why does your healthcare cost so much?  First, it’s because every procedure costs more in the United States than in other countries.

  • State-by-state report card on America’s health care system

    State-by-state report card on America’s health care system

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    To learn more from the American College of Emergency Physicians about your state’s rankings on access to emergency care, quality and patient safety, medical liability, public health and disaster preparedness, click here: http://www.emreportcard.org
  • US health care system performs poorly

    US health care system performs poorly

    In a new report released by the Commonwealth Fund, authors Karen Davis and others find that compared to other developed and wealthy countries, the United States’ health care system performs extremely poorly.  What’s noteworthy is that the United States has the most expensive health care system in the world.

    And, this is not the first year that the Commonwealth Fund has ranked the United States lower than the other 10 countries it studied.In 2010, 2007, 2006, and 2004, The Commonwealth Fund also ranked the United States’ health care system as the poorest performer overall.  Of particular note, the United States is at the bottom of the pack when it comes to health outcomes.  The United States is also at or very near the bottom of the list on access, equity and efficiency.

    The United States health care system ranked third among the 11 countries, its highest score, for “effective care.”Australia, Germany, France and the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom, all of which have national health insurance for their entire population, rank ahead of the United States.  The United Kingdom performs highest, with Switzerland right behind it.

    According to the authors, “Other nations ensure the accessibility of care through universal health systems and through better ties between patients and the physician practices that serve as their medical homes,”The report does not compare any of the individual health care systems in the United States, such as Medicare or Medicaid, with the universal systems in the other countries.  So, there’s no way to know how Medicare or Medicaid perform on health outcomes, access, equity and efficiency based on this study relative to the other countries analyzed.

  • Americans are more satisfied with Medicare than with private insurance

    Americans are more satisfied with Medicare than with private insurance

    According to a new Gallup poll, people with government-provided health insurance, including people with Medicare and VA coverage, are more satisfied with their health care coverage than other Americans.  Almost four out of five people 65 and older are satisfied with their treatment by the health care system (79 percent of people with Medicare, Medicaid and VA coverage) as compared with about three out of five people between 18 and 45 (61-66 percent).
    More specifically, people without health insurance are the least satisfied with the health care system (36 percent). People with military or veterans coverage are the most satisfied (77 percent) and people with Medicare or Medicaid are the next most satisfied (76 percent).

    For this survey, Gallup was not able to separate out satisfaction rates for people newly insured in the health insurance exchanges.  They plan to do so in future polls as soon as practicable.

    The survey also does not speak to the reasons why people over 65 are more satisfied with the health care system than the rest of the population.  Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center, speculates it’s because Medicare and Medicaid coverage are easier to use than private insurance and in most cases provides better protection against financial risk.  “For sure, Congress can improve Medicare.  But, compared with the hassles of referrals and huge copays and deductibles with private insurance, Medicare is relatively simple.”

     

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