AHRQ Stats

New data nuggets from AHRQ News Now posted weekly to highlight AHRQ statistical reports on health care trends.

Adverse Drug Events Involving Hypoglycemic Agents
In 2021, 7.5 percent of Hispanic patients, 6.6 percent of Black patients, 6.2 percent of patients with an “other” or unknown race, and 4.0 percent of White patients experienced adverse inpatient events involving hypoglycemic agents, which are used to control blood sugar levels in diabetic patients. (Source:  Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Distribution of Race/Ethnicity Among People With High Expenses
In 2021, Non-Hispanic White people were more likely to have higher healthcare expenditures than other race/ethnicity groups, comprising 74.1 percent of people in the top 5 percent healthcare expenditure tier. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of Persons With High Expenses, United Stats Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2018-2021.)

Maternal Deaths by Area Income
In 2020, among women living in the lowest-income areas, an average of 11 died for every 100,000 maternity admissions—more than twice the average of 5.1 deaths for every 100,000 maternity admissions among those living in the highest-income areas. (Source: Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Maternal Deaths by Race/Ethnicity
In 2020, out of every 100,000 maternity admissions, an average of 12.2 Black women died—more than double the average of 5.6 deaths for every 100,000 maternity admissions among White women. Hispanic women also faced higher rates of death than White women, with an average of 8.5 deaths for every 100,000 maternity admissions. (Source: Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Cost of Treatment for Dental Conditions Among Seniors
In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the average emergency department cost of treating traumatic dental conditions for patients aged 65 and older was $916, 3.6 times as high as the $250 average cost of treating nontraumatic conditions. (Source: Treat-and-Release Emergency Department Utilization and Costs for Traumatic and Nontraumatic Dental Conditions, 2019 and 2020.)

Distribution of Healthcare Expenditures
In 2021, the top 1 percent of people with high expenses accounted for 24 percent of all healthcare expenditures, while the bottom 50 percent of people with high expenses accounted for less than 3 percent of expenditures. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of Persons With High Expenses, United States Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2018-2021.)

Trends in Psychological Distress During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Between 2018 and 2021, the proportion of adults who reported experiencing psychological distress increased from 3.5 percent to 4.2 percent. However, among adults experiencing serious distress, the rate of outpatient mental health care decreased from 46.5 percent to 40.4 percent. (Source: Trends in Psychological Distress and Outpatient Mental Health Care of Adults During the COVID-19 Era.)

Trends in Number of Individuals Using Dental Care
Around 131 million people—40.8 percent of the total U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population—utilized dental care in 2020. This represented a decline of 18 million people when compared with the 149 million people who utilized dental care in 2019. (Source: Dental Utilization and Expenditures, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population Aged 2 and Older, 2019-2021.)

Electronic Nicotine Use and Mental Health
44.1 percent of young adults in fair or poor mental health reported using an electronic nicotine product in 2021, compared with 25.1 percent of those who felt that their mental health was excellent. (Source: Characteristics of Young Adults Aged 18-24 Who Had Ever Used an Electronic Nicotine Product, 2021.)

Healthcare Workforce Participation
The number of people working in ambulatory settings of the healthcare sector increased by 5.7 percent between January 2020 and January 2023. In the same timeframe, the number of workers employed by nursing homes and residential care facilities decreased by 8.4 percent. (Source: AHRQ 2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Electronic Nicotine Product Use by Age
In 2021, 30.6 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 reported having used an electronic nicotine product, the highest among any age group. By comparison, 25.2 percent of adults aged 25 to 34, 17.9 percent of adults aged 35 to 44, 11.2 percent of those aged 45 to 64 and 4.1 percent of those aged 65 and older reported using electronic nicotine products. (Source: Characteristics of Young Adults Aged 18-24 Who Had Ever Used an Electronic Nicotine Product, 2021.)

Electronic Nicotine Product Use Among Adults
Overall, 15.5 percent of U.S. noninstitutionalized adults reported having used an electronic nicotine product in 2021. (Source: Characteristics of Young Adults Aged 18-24 Who Had Ever Used an Electronic Nicotine Product, 2021.)

Largest Declines in Life Expectancy
Between 2019 and 2021, the average life expectancy for non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native people declined by 9.2 percent, the most among any group. Average life expectancy declined by 5.3 percent for Black people, 5.1 percent for Hispanic people, 3 percent for White people, and 2.5 percent for Asian people. (Source: 2023 AHRQ National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Insurance 
In 2021, 95 percent of non-Hispanic Asian people had some form of health insurance, the most of any group, followed by 93.4 percent of White people, 92.5 percent of multiracial people, 80 percent of Black people and 78.2 percent of Hispanic people. (Source: AHRQ 2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.) 

Life Expectancy Among Americans 
In 2021, the average life expectancy in the United States decreased to 76.1 years, compared with an average of 77 years in 2020 and 78.8 years in 2019. Life expectancy in comparable countries improved to 82.4 years in 2021 from 82.1 years in 2020. (Source: AHRQ 2023 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.) 

Changes in Employee Insurance Contributions, 2021-2022
While employee contributions for those with single and employee-plus-one coverage did not change significantly between 2021 and 2022, contributions for family coverage increased by 5.2 percent from $6,174 annually to $6,492. (Source: Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2022.) 

Changes in Health Insurance Premiums, 2021-2022 
Compared with 2021, insurance premiums in 2022 for private-sector employees increased 2.8 percent for single coverage, 2.1 percent for employee-plus-one coverage and 2.6 percent for family coverage. (Source: Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2022.) 

Racial Differences in Opioid Use Among Older Adults
In 2020-2021, 14 percent of non-Hispanic White adults aged 65 and older filled an opioid prescriptions on average annually, twice the rate of their Hispanic counterparts. (Source: Use and "Frequent Use" of Opioids among Adults Aged 65 and Older in 2020-2021, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.)

Hospital Readmissions by Race
In 2020, non-Hispanic Black patients experienced 16 hospital readmissions per every 100 admissions, the highest rate among any race. Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander patients faced the lowest rate at 11.7 per every 100 admissions. (Source: Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016-2020.)

Diseases Associated With Readmissions
Among patients diagnosed with a blood disease in 2020, 23.8 out of every 100 hospital stays resulted in a 30-day readmission, the highest rate of any diagnosis. Stays for neoplasms resulted in the second highest rate, with 19 readmissions for every 100 admissions. (Source: Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2016-2020.)

Heart Disease Treatment by Annual Income
In 2020, 10.3 percent of adults who were classified as poor (with annual family incomes 125 percent below the federal poverty level [FPL] or lower) and 9.7 percent of those in low-income families (125 to 200 percent below FPL) received treatment for heart disease. These percentages were higher than the 8.2 percent of adults in middle-income families (200 percent below to 400 percent above FPL) and the 7.1 percent of those in high-income families (400 percent or more above FPL) receiving heart disease treatment. (Source: Healthcare Expenditures for Heart Disease among Adults Aged 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020).

Trends in Severe Maternal Morbidity Between 2012 and 2019
Severe maternal morbidity rates in the United States increased 15 percent from 69.5 events per every 10,000 deliveries in 2012 to 79.7 per every 10,000 deliveries in 2019. Among 20 indicators of severe maternal morbidity, acute kidney failure had the greatest increase, from 6.4 instances per every 10,000 deliveries in 2012 to 15.3 in 2019. (Source: Trends in Severe Maternal Morbidity in the US Across the Transition from ICD-10-CM/PCS from 2012-2019.) 

Race-Related Differences in Heart Disease Treatment
In 2020, 9.8 percent of non-Hispanic White adults received heart disease treatment compared with 6.9 percent of non-Hispanic Blacks, 4.5 percent of non-Hispanic Asians and 4.2 percent of Hispanic adults. (Source: Healthcare Expenditures for Heart Disease among Adults Aged 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

Proportion of Adults Receiving Heart Disease Treatment
An estimated 8.1 percent of adults aged 18 years and older received heart disease treatment in 2020. That proportion was highest among those aged 65 and older at 23.9 percent, compared with 6.3 percent of adults aged 45 to 64 and 1.4 percent of those aged 18 to 44. (Source: Healthcare Expenditures for Heart Disease among Adults Aged 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

Regional Differences in Percentage of People Receiving COVID-19 Treatment
In 2020, 4.4 percent and 4.3 percent of people living in the Midwest and South, respectively, received treatment for COVID-19, significantly more than the percentage that received treatment in the Northeast (3.0 percent) or West (2.9 percent). (Source: Healthcare Use and Expenditures for COVID-19, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

Hospitalizations for COVID-19–Related Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Hospitalizations for COVID-19–related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children varied significantly by race in 2021, ranging from 0.97 hospitalizations per every 100,000 White children per month to 1.99 hospitalizations per every 100,000 Black children per month. (Source: Complications, Adverse Drug Events, High Costs, and Disparities in Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children vs. COVID-19.)

Race-Related Disparities in Emergency Department and Inpatient Visits for COVID-19 in 2020
In 2020, 32.5 percent of Black non-Hispanic Americans who were treated for COVID-19 had an emergency department visit or inpatient stay, significantly higher than the 17.1 percent and 17.2 percent of White non-Hispanic and Hispanic Americans, respectively. (Source: Healthcare Use and Expenditures for COVID-19, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.)

Type of Medical Visits for COVID-19 by Income
In 2020, the proportion of COVID-19 patients who had an ambulatory visit ranged from 74.7 percent among poor or near-poor individuals to 90.6 percent among those with middle or high income. The proportion who visited an emergency room or had an inpatient stay was inversely related, ranging from 31.9 percent of poor or near-poor individuals to 16.4 percent of those with middle or high income. (Source: Healthcare Use and Expenditures for COVID-19, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

COVID-19 Treatment by Insurance Type
An AHRQ analysis shows 4.2 percent of patients with any private insurance in 2020 received treatment for COVID-19, significantly higher than the 2.9 percent of patients with only public insurance. (Source: Healthcare Use and Expenditures for COVID-19, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

COVID-19 Visits and Age-Related Disparities in 2020
In 2020, 3.8 percent of civilian, noninstitutionalized Americans had a COVID-19-related medical visit or prescribed medicine purchase. Adults between the ages of 18 and 64 were more likely to receive treatment for COVID-19 (over 4.5 percent) than children ages 5–17 (1.5 percent). (Source: Healthcare Use and Expenditures for COVID-19, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2020.) 

Emergency Department Visits for Substance Use Disorders
Although estimates showed higher rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) among White individuals than Black and Hispanic individuals in 2019, emergency department visits for SUDs were more common among Black non-Hispanic individuals (48.3 percent per 1,000 population) than White non-Hispanic individuals (29.1 percent). Hispanic individuals had the lowest rate among any race/ethnicity group (17.6 percent). (Source: Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Visits Related to Substance Use Disorders, 2019.) 

Prescribed Medicine Use for Commonly Treated Conditions
Between 2019 and 2020, the number of people who filled prescriptions to treat acute bronchitis and other upper respiratory infections declined by 44 percent from 22.8 million to 12.8 million, and the number who filled a prescription for infectious diseases (excluding COVID-19) declined by 27.2 percent from 17.5 million to 12.8 million. (Source: Treated Prevalence of Commonly Reported Health Conditions, 2016 to 2020.)

Uninsured Mothers by Income
Between 2008 and 2019, the percentage of mothers who were uninsured at the time of birth declined among women in two income groups: those in families that earned annual incomes between 0 and 138 percent of the federal poverty level and those in families that earned between 251 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. (Source: Insurance Status of Mothers at the Time of Birth, by Demographic Characteristics, 2008-19.)

Americans Treated for Joint Disorders
The number of Americans receiving treatment for osteoarthritis or other nontraumatic joint disorders decreased significantly from 52.6 million in 2016 to 43.6 million in 2020. (Source: Treated Prevalence of Commonly Reported Health Conditions, 2016 to 2020.)

Americans Treated for Respiratory Infections
The number of Americans treated for acute bronchitis and upper respiratory infections decreased significantly from 33.2 million in 2016 to 17.9 million in 2020. (Source: Treated Prevalence of Commonly Reported Health Conditions, 2016 to 2020.)

Maternal Deaths by Age
Among women who gave birth in 2019, those aged 25 to 34 years were nearly twice as likely to die during a delivery hospitalization (5.2 deaths per 100,000 hospitalizations) as those aged 18 to 24 (2.6 deaths per 100,000 hospitalizations). Women aged 35 to 55 years were more than three times as likely to die (9.5 deaths per 100,000 hospitalizations). (Source: 2023 Patient Safety Chartbook.)

Maternal Deaths by Race
Non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic Asian Pacific Islander mothers experienced 9.4 and 9.3 deaths per 100,000 delivery hospitalizations respectively in 2019, nearly three times the 3.5 deaths per 100,000 delivery hospitalizations among Non-Hispanic White mothers. (Source: Patient Safety Chartbook.)

Doctor-Patient Communication by Race/Ethnicity
In 2019, 13.9 percent of non-Hispanic Asian patients, 11.5 percent of Hispanic patients and 9.1 percent of non-Hispanic Black patients reported that their healthcare provider sometimes or never explained things in a way they could understand. Just 6.8 percent of non-Hispanic White patients experienced the same communication gaps. (Source: 2023 Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Low-Risk First Birth Cesarean Delivery by Age
In 2020, 40.3 percent of women aged 35 and older who gave birth for the first time had a cesarean delivery, the highest rate compared with women aged 15 to 19 (15.9 percent), aged 20 to 24 (21.5 percent), aged 25 to 29 (25.6 percent) and aged 30 to 34 (28.9 percent).(Source: Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Most and Least Likely Groups To Have Health Insurance
In 2020, non-Hispanic Asians were the most likely to be insured with 92.4 percent having health insurance. American Indians or Alaska Natives were the least likely, with 72.9 percent insured. (Source: AHRQ 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Leading Causes of Death in 2020
Heart disease and cancer accounted for 168.2 and 144.1 deaths per 100,000 individuals, respectively, in 2020, making them the leading cause of death that year. COVID-19 was the third most common cause at 85.0 deaths per 100,000 people. (Source: 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Disparities in Insurance Coverage Among Mothers at Time of Birth
The percentage of Hispanic mothers who were uninsured at the time of birth decreased by 9.9 percentage points between 2008-2013 and 2014-2019. Uninsured rates dropped by 4.6 percentage points among non-Hispanic Black mothers and 2.8 percentage points among non-Hispanic White mothers in that same time frame. (Source: Insurance Status of Mothers at the Time of Birth, by Demographic Characteristics, 2008-19.)

Prevalence of Pressure Ulcers by Race
In 2019, 7 percent of Black patients, 6.9 percent of American Native patients, 5.9 percent of Asian patients and 4.8 percent of Hispanic patients developed a pressure ulcer, compared with just 4.3 percent of White patients. (Source: 2023 Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Insurance Coverage Among Mothers at Time of Birth
The percentage of mothers who had no insurance at the time of birth declined from 10.4 percent to 5.9 percent between 2008-2013 and 2014-2019. The percentage who had private coverage increased from 55.4 percent to 60.5 percent in that same time frame. (Source: Insurance Status of Mothers at the Time of Birth, by Demographic Characteristics, 2008–19.)

Delivery Stays Involving Mental Health Disorders
One in seven in-hospital delivery stays for non-Hispanic White women included a diagnosis of a mental health disorder in 2020 (14 per 100 delivery stays), the highest rate among any race/ethnicity group. In-hospital delivery stays for Asian/Pacific Islander women included the lowest diagnosis rate, at just 3.6 per every 100 stays (Source: Mental Health Disorders Among Delivery Inpatient Stays by Patient Race and Ethnicity, 2020.)

Overdose Deaths Involving Opioids
From 2018 to 2020, the overall rate of drug overdose deaths involving opioids increased from 14.6 per 100,000 population to 21.4. Native Americans experienced the most significant increase, from 13.8 per 100,000 in 2018 to 28.1 in 2020. (Source: AHRQ 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Mental Health Emergency Department Visits
Despite no significant change in mental health emergency department visits occurring in adults in the same time frame, those for children aged 0–17 years old increased by 24.6 percent between 2016 and 2018. (Source: AHRQ 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Access to Treatment for Illicit Drug Use
In 2020, the percentage of people who needed and received treatment for illicit drug use at a specialty facility was below 10 percent. (Source: AHRQ 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report [PDF, 15.5 MB].)

Cost Barriers to Care Access
While 8.8 percent of people reported that cost was a barrier to getting needed medical care in 2019, 14.3 percent reported the same issue as a reason they were unable to get or delayed getting needed dental care. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report [PDF, 15.5 MB].)

Maternal Mortality
The overall maternal mortality rate in 2020 was 23.8 deaths per 100,000 live births, an increase from 20.1 deaths in 2019 and 17.4 in 2018. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report [PDF, 15.5 MB].)

Admissions From Emergency Departments During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 29 States
The number of emergency department visits during April and December of 2020 across 29 states was 25.7 percent lower than the same months of the previous year, and the number that resulted in hospitalization decreased by 9.8 percent in that same time frame. (Source: Changes in Emergency Department Visits in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April – December 2020), 29 States.)

Admissions From Emergency Departments During the COVID-19 Pandemic Across 29 States
Despite there being just 3.8 million emergency department visits in April 2020 across 29 states compared with 7 million in April of the previous year, the percentage of visits that resulted in admissions rose from 13.4 in April 2019 to 18.1 in April 2020. (Source: Changes in Emergency Department Visits in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic (April – December 2020), 29 States.)

Medical and Dental Provider Visits by Race
In 2019, 43.3 percent of non-Hispanic White Americans visited both a medical and dental provider, compared with just 26.4 percent of non-Hispanic Black Americans and 25.3 percent of Hispanic Americans (Source: Number and Percentage of the Population with Any Dental or Medical Visits by Insurance Coverage and Geographic Area, 2019.)

Medical and Dental Provider Visits by Insurance Coverage
In 2019, 47.2 percent of Americans with both private insurance and dental coverage visited both a medical and dental provider, compared with just 22.8 percent of those with private insurance and no dental coverage and 29.8 percent of those with only public insurance. (Source: Number and Percentage of the Population with Any Dental or Medical Visits by Insurance Coverage and Geographic Area, 2019.)

Adult Hospital Stays With Operating Room Procedures by Race
Among patients aged 18 to 64 years, Black non-Hispanic patients had the highest rate of nonmaternal hospital stays with an operating room procedure in 2019. White patients had the highest rate of stays among patients aged 65 and older. (Source: Differences in Hospital Stays With Operating Room Procedures by Patient Race and Ethnicity, 2019.)

Rates of Hospital Stays With Operating Room Procedures by Race
In 2019, nonmaternal hospitalizations with operating room procedures for Black and White non-Hispanic patients were approximately two to three times as high as the rates for Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander patients. (Source: Differences in Hospital Stays With Operating Room Procedures by Patient Race and Ethnicity, 2019.)

Hospital Stays Among High Spenders
For people who were among the top 5 percent of healthcare spenders in 2019, 36.7 percent of their expenses were for inpatient hospital stays. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019)

Source of Payment Among High Spenders
In 2019, Medicare and private insurance paid for more than three-quarters of expenses for people who ranked among the top 5 percent of healthcare spenders (Medicare: 31.3 percent; private insurance: 45.4 percent) while out-of-pocket payments comprised just 7.3 percent of expenses in this group. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Non-Institutionalized Population, 2019.)

Average Employee Insurance Contributions
Overall, the average employee contribution for single coverage increased by 7.2 percent to $1,643 between 2020 and 2021, while single premium contributions increased by 12.3 percent, 14.1 percent and 5.6 percent at small, medium and large firms, respectively (Source: Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2021.)

Healthcare Expenditures for Treatment of Mental Disorders
In 2019, 41.5 percent of medical spending for mental disorders occurred during office-based and outpatient visits, representing the largest expenditure source. (Source: Healthcare Expenditures for Treatment of Mental Disorders: Estimates for Adults Ages 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

Opioid Use by Economic Characteristics
In 2018-2019, non-elderly adults who had family incomes below the federal poverty line (13.3 percent), lived in rural areas (12.4 percent), or were covered by public insurance due to a disability (30.3 percent) were more likely than others to have at least one opioid prescription filled during the year. (Source: Any Use and "Frequent Use" of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in 2018-2019, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.)

Health Insurance Deductibles Between 2020 and 2021
Compared with 2020 levels, average deductibles for single employer-sponsored health insurance increased by 3 percent in 2021, and family coverage deductibles increased by 3.9 percent. (Source: Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2021.)

Opioid Use by Gender
In 2018-2019, 8.7 percent of nonelderly adults, on average, filled at least one outpatient opioid prescription. Women were more likely than men to have any opioid use (10.3 percent vs. 7.0 percent) and to have frequent opioid use (2.7 percent vs. 1.8 percent) during the year. (Source: Any Use and "Frequent Use" of Opioids among Non-Elderly Adults in 2018-2019, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.)

Health Insurance Premiums Between 2020 and 2021
Health insurance premiums for single coverage, employee-plus-one coverage and family coverage in 2021 increased by 3.2, 3.1 and 3 percent, respectively, compared with their 2020 levels. (Source: Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2021.)

Expected Payer for Maternal Emergency Department Visits Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Patients
In 2019, the number of pregnant Hispanic women with self-pay or no charge emergency department visits was twice the number of White non-Hispanic pregnant women. (Source: Expected Payers and Patient Characteristics of Maternal Emergency Department Care, 2019.)

Expected Payer for Maternal Emergency Department Visits
In 2019, Medicaid was the primary expected payer for 54.3 percent of treat-and-release emergency department visits and 51.3 percent of emergency department costs for pregnant women. (Source: Expected Payers and Patient Characteristics of Maternal Emergency Department Care, 2019.)

Mental Disorder Hot Spots
During 2016-2018, hot spots of inpatient stays related to schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders occurred in parts of Appalachia, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and southern California. (Source: Geographic Variation in Inpatient Stays for Five Leading Mental Disorders, 2016-2018 [PDF, 1 MB].)

Highest Healthcare Spenders
In 2019, the top 1 percent of people who spent the most on their healthcare accounted for about 21 percent of total healthcare expenditures, while the bottom 50 percent accounted for only 3 percent of expenditures. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

Substance Use Disorder Inpatient Stay Hot Spots
During 2016 through 2018, inpatient stays for alcohol-related disorders were concentrated in the Midwest, parts of Appalachia, Nevada and Rhode Island, while stays for opioid-related disorders were concentrated in Appalachia and New Jersey. (Source: Geographic Variation in Inpatient Stays for Five Leading Substance Use Disorders, 2016-2018.)

Demographics for Highest Healthcare Spenders
In 2019, hypertension and osteoarthritis/other nontraumatic joint disorders were the most commonly treated conditions among people in the top 5 percent of healthcare spenders. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

Highest Healthcare Spenders
In 2019, the top 1 percent of people who spent the most on their healthcare accounted for about 21 percent of total healthcare expenditures, while the bottom 50 percent accounted for only 3 percent of expenditures. (Source: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

State Variations in Mental Disorders
Rates of hospitalization for depressive disorders varied from 47.9 to 291.9 per 100,000 population across 38 states during 2016-2018. Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders hospitalization rates varied from 20.4 to 200.8 per every 100,000. (Source: Geographic Variation in Inpatient Stays for Five Leading Mental Disorders, 2016-2018 [PDF, 1 MB].)

Substance Use Disorder Inpatient Stay Hot Spots
During 2016 through 2018, inpatient stays for alcohol-related disorders were concentrated in the Midwest, parts of Appalachia, Nevada and Rhode Island, while stays for opioid-related disorders were concentrated in Appalachia and New Jersey. (Source: Geographic Variation in Inpatient Stays for Five Leading Substance Use Disorders, 2016-2018.)

Hypertension Hospitalizations Among Black Americans
In 2018, there were nearly 213 hypertension-related hospitalizations among every 100,000 Black Americans, compared to just under 70 per every 100,000 Hispanic Americans and under 40 for every 100,000 White Americans. (Source: 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, D-27 [PDF, 8 MB])

Financial Barriers to Care Among Racial/Ethnic Groups
The percentage of Hispanic people who reported being without a usual source of care in 2018 due to financial or insurance reasons was nearly double that for Black populations and more than double that for White populations. (Source: 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, D-37 [PDF, 8 MB])

Asthma Hospitalizations Among Children In Urban Areas
Asthma hospitalizations for children aged 2 to 17 years in 2018 were more than 60 percent higher in large central metropolitan areas than in any other area, with over 116 occurring among every 100,000 children compared to just over 71 per every 100,000 in other areas. (Source: 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report D-86 [PDF, 8 MB])

Insurance Access Among People Aged 65 and Younger
The percentage of people under 65 years old who had "any period of uninsurance" decreased by 33 percent, and the percentage who were "uninsured all year" decreased by 42 percent between 2002 and 2018. (Source: 2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, A-1 [PDF, 8 MB])

Spending on Mental Disorders Treatment
Approximately 44 million adults, 17.3 percent of the U.S. population, reported expenditures for treatment of mental disorders totaling over $106 billion in 2019. (Source: Healthcare Expenditures for Treatment of Mental Disorders: Estimates for Adults Ages 18 and Older, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2019.)

Musculoskeletal System Surgeries
In 2019, seven of the top 20 ambulatory surgeries performed at hospital-owned facilities were related to the musculoskeletal system. They accounted for 22 percent of all major ambulatory surgeries. (Source: Overview of Major Ambulatory Surgeries Performed in Hospital-Owned Facilities, 2019 [PDF, 865 KB].)

Hospital Admission Emergency Department Visits
Fourteen percent of emergency department (ED) visits in 2018 resulted in hospital admissions. Circulatory and digestive system conditions were the most common reasons for these ED visits. (Source: Most Frequent Reasons For Emergency Department Visits, 2018.)

Antidepressant Prescriptions in Low-Income Households
The average total expenditure for an antidepressant prescription decreased from $73 in 2013 to $49 in 2018 among people living in poor, near-poor or low-income households. (Source: Average Expenditures per Prescription Antidepressant Fill in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population by Select Sociodemographic Characteristics, 2013 and 2018.)

Treat-and-Release Emergency Department Visits
Of 14 million emergency department (ED) visits in 2018, 86 percent were treated and released from the ED. Abdominal pain, acute upper respiratory infections and nonspecific chest pain were the most common reasons for treat-and-release ED visits. (Source: Most Frequent Reasons for Emergency Department Visits, 2018 [PDF, 919 KB].)

Dental and Medical Visits
About 37 percent of Americans visited a dentist and physician at least once in 2018, while another 9 percent visited only a dentist. (Source: Trends in the Number and Percentage of the Population with Any Dental or Medical Visits, 2003-2018.)

Appendectomies Among Children
Appendectomy was the most common operating room procedure during inpatient stays for children aged 0-17 in 2018, with over 17,000 performed on females and about 26,000 performed on males. (Source: Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018.)

Appendectomies Among Children
Appendectomy was the most common operating room procedure during inpatient stays for children aged 0-17 in 2018, with over 17,000 performed on females and about 26,000 performed on males. (Source: Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018.)

Impact of the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Older Adult Hospitalizations
As the COVID-19 pandemic set in—from April to September 2020—there were 16 percent fewer hospitalizations for adults age 65 and older in 13 states compared with the same period in the four prior years. However, there were 30 percent more in-hospital deaths among patients in this age group. (Source: Changes in Hospitalizations and In-Hospital Deaths for Adults Aged 65 Years and Older in the Initial Period of the COVID-19 Pandemic [April-September 2020], 13 States.)

Emergency Care for Dental-Related Conditions
Emergency department visits for dental-related conditions totaled more than 2 million in 2018. The highest rates of visits were among non-Hispanic Black individuals (1,362 per 100,000 population), people ages 18 to 44 (1,107), and those living in the lowest-income communities (1,069). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #280: Emergency Department Visits Involving Dental Conditions, 2018.)

Most Common Operating Room Procedure for Children
Appendectomy was the most common operating room procedure among children in 2018, at a rate of 69.1 per 100,000 males and 48.1 per 100,000 females. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #281: Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018.)

Hospital Mortality Rates for Diabetes
In 2018, the in-hospital mortality rate among adults aged 18 to 64 years was twice as high for type 2 diabetes (41 deaths per 10,000 stays) as compared with type 1 (20 deaths per 10,000 stays). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #279: Diabetes-Related Inpatient Stays, 2018.)

Highest Hospital Readmission Rate
Hospital admissions due to sickle cell trait/anemia had the highest readmission rate within 30 days in 2018, representing more than one in three adult hospitalizations (36 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #278: Overview of Clinical Conditions With Frequent and Costly Hospital Readmissions by Payer, 2018.)

Costliest Hospital Stays
The overall costliest hospital stays in 2018 were for septicemia ($41.5 billion), osteoarthritis ($18 billion) and acute myocardial infarction ($14.7 billion). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #277: Most Frequent Principal Diagnoses for Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2018.)

Antidepressant Prescriptions for Seniors
The number of people age 65 or older who purchased at least one antidepressant prescription increased from 8.5 million in 2013 to 10.6 million in 2018. Those purchasing at least one antipsychotic prescription rose from 600,000 to 1 million during the same period. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #535: Comparison of the Total Number of People in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population Purchasing One or More Antidepressant or Antipsychotic Prescriptions by Select Sociodemographic Characteristics, 2013 and 2018.)

Flu Shots Among Adults at Increased Risk of COVID-19
Adults at increased risk of COVID-19, due to underlying health conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease, were more likely to get flu shots (52.5 percent) compared with lower-risk adults (34.9 percent). These estimates are based on prepandemic (2016) vaccination rates. (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #48: Influenza Vaccination Prevalence Among Adults with Increased Risk of COVID-19.)

Paid Sick Leave and Business Size
In 2017, paid sick leave was available to 84 percent of workers at large firms (500 or more employees) compared with 77 percent at midsize firms (50–499 employees) and 55 percent at small firms (49 or fewer employees). (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #47, Prevalence of Paid Sick Leave Among Wage Earners, 2017.)

Hospital Stays Related to Opioids and Stimulants
More hospital stays from 2012 to 2018 were related to opioids only instead of stimulants only, though from 2016 to 2018, the population rate of stimulant-only related stays increased 22 percent while opioid-only related stays remained relatively stable with an 8 percent decrease. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #271: Opioid-Related and Stimulant-Related Adult Inpatient Stays, 2012-2018.)

Emergency Care of Injuries in Children Following a Hurricane
Among people living in the direct path of a hurricane between 2005 and 2016, about one-quarter of children up to age 17 had injury-related emergency department visits that resulted in a hospital admission (23 percent) during the week of the hurricane. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #267: Impact of Hurricanes on Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits, 2005-2016.)

Toolkit Significantly Reduces Hospital Falls
A safety toolkit funded by AHRQ helped hospitals reduce patient falls overall by 15 percent and falls resulting in injuries by 34 percent, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.

Hospitalization for Cancer
In 2017, one million hospital stays with a principal diagnosis of cancer cost a total of $23 billion. More than one-third of that cost was for three types of cancer: colorectal cancer, respiratory cancer and secondary malignancies. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #270, Cancer-Related Hospitalizations for Adults, 2017.)

Nursing Home and Health System Affiliations
Six percent of nursing homes were affiliated with a U.S. health system in 2018. Overall, 46 percent of the nation's health systems included a nursing home. (Source: AHRQ, Comparative Health System Performance Data Brief #8: Nursing Homes Affiliated with U.S. Health Systems, 2018 [PDF, 451 KB].)

People Who Spend the Least for Healthcare
In 2018, the bottom 50 percent of Americans with the lowest healthcare spending accounted for only about 3 percent of total U.S. healthcare expenditures. People in this group spent an average of $384 during the year for healthcare. (AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #533: Concentration of Healthcare Expenditures and Selected Characteristics of High Spenders, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2018.)

Emergency Care of Injuries Following a Hurricane
Among people who lived in the direct path of a hurricane between 2005 and 2016, people age 65 years and older had the highest rate of injury-related emergency department visits resulting in hospital admission (53 percent) during the week of the hurricane. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #267: Impact of Hurricanes on Injury-Related Emergency Department Visits, 2005-2016.)

Gender and Emergency Department Visits
Of the nation's $76.3 billion cost for emergency department visits in 2017, 56 percent of visits were for females at a cost of $42.6 billion while 44 percent were for males at a cost of $33.7 billion. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #268: Costs of Emergency Department Visits in the United States, 2017.)

Surgical Hospital Stays
Surgical stays represented a higher percentage of hospitalizations at health system-affiliated hospitals (21 percent) compared with unaffiliated hospitals (14 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #265: Health System Affiliation and Characteristics of Inpatient Stays at Rural and Metropolitan Hospitals, 2016.)

Medicare Payments for Falls
Medicare was the most common expected payer in 2017 for emergency department treatment of injuries due to falls (38 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #266: Overview of Emergency Department Visits Related to Injuries, by Cause of Injury, 2017.)

Average Cost of a Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare Hospital Stay
The average cost of a hospital stay among patients at least 65 years old with Medicare Advantage as the expected primary payer rose 16 percent from 2009 to 2017. The average cost of a stay expected to be paid for by traditional Medicare, meanwhile, grew by 11 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #262: Medicare Advantage Versus the Traditional Medicare Program: Costs of Inpatient Stays, 2009-2017.)

Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare Hospital Costs
The cost of hospital stays among patients at least 65 years old with Medicare Advantage as the expected primary payer climbed 68 percent from 2009 to 2017 ($20 billion to $33 billion). During the same time, costs for hospital stays with traditional Medicare as expected primary payer fell 2 percent ($68 billion to $67 billion), despite a 12 percent drop in the number of these stays. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #262: Medicare Advantage Versus the Traditional Medicare Program: Costs of Inpatient Stays, 2009-2017.)

Counties With High Rates of Opioid-Related Medical Care
In 2016, counties with high rates of opioid-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits had the following social determinants of health characteristics: higher percentages of economically disadvantaged residents and Medicaid recipients; higher crime rates; and more densely populated and racially segregated. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #260: Social Determinants of Health and County Population Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2016

Average Deductibles for Healthcare Coverage
Average individual healthcare deductibles in 2019 were higher in small ($2,386) and medium-sized businesses ($2,441) compared with large businesses ($1,778). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #530, Trends in Health Insurance at Private Employers, 2008-2019.)

Hospital Stays Covered by Medicare Advantage
The number of hospital stays among patients aged 65+ years with Medicare Advantage as the expected primary payer increased 45 percent from 2009 to 2017, while those for which traditional Medicare was the expected primary payer fell 12 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #262: Medicare Advantage Versus the Traditional Medicare Program: Costs of Inpatient Stays, 2009-2017.)

Potentially Preventable Hospital Stays for Adults
As many as 3.5 million hospital stays among adults in 2017 were considered potentially preventable, costing nearly $34 billion. The preventable stays represented nearly 13 percent of all hospital stays (excluding obstetrics) and almost 9 percent of all costs. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #259, Characteristics and Costs of Potentially Preventable Inpatient Stays, 2017.) 

Hospitalizations for Live Births
Live births represented one of every 10 hospitalizations in 2017, accounting for nearly $16 billion in total hospital costs. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #261, National Inpatient Hospital Costs: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2017.)

Most Expensive Medical Conditions
The five most expensive medical conditions requiring hospitalization in 2017 were septicemia, osteoarthritis, live birth, heart attack and heart failure. These conditions accounted for about one-quarter of the $434 billion in total hospitalization costs that year. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #261, National Inpatient Hospital Costs: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2017.)

AHRQ Stats: Hospitalizations in 2017
Nearly 36 million hospitalizations occurred in 2017, representing a total cost of $434 billion. (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #261, National Inpatient Hospital Costs: The Most Expensive Conditions by Payer, 2017.)

AHRQ Stats: Emergency Care Covered by Medicare
In 2017, Medicare covered the largest share of hospital emergency department visit costs for anxiety (37 percent) and depressive disorders (41 percent). (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #257, Costs of Emergency Department Visits for Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the United States, 2017.

AHRQ Stats: Emergency Care Covered by Medicaid
In 2017, Medicaid covered the largest share of hospital emergency department visit costs for patients with suicidal ideation, attempt or self-harm (39 percent), bipolar and related disorders (37 percent) and alcohol-related disorders (34 percent). (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #257: Costs of Emergency Department Visits for Mental and Substance Use Disorders in the United States, 2017.)

AHRQ Stats: Urban-Rural Variations in Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays
In 2016, hospitals in U.S. metropolitan areas had a higher average rate of opioid-related inpatient stays (31 per 1,000 stays) compared with hospitals in adjacent rural areas (20 per 1,000), or those in more remote rural areas (16 per 1,000). (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #258, Hospital Burden of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays: Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals, 2016

AHRQ Stats: Highest Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays
Hospitals in the New England Census division had the nation’s highest rates of opioid-related stays in 2016. This includes hospitalization rates for metropolitan hospitals (41 per 1,000 stays), adjacent rural areas (33 per 1,000) or more remote rural areas (35 per 1,000). (Source: AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #258, Hospital Burden of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays: Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals, 2016.)

Highest Rates of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays
Hospitals in the New England Census division had the nation's highest rates of opioid-related stays in 2016. This includes hospitalization rates for metropolitan hospitals (41 per 1,000 stays), adjacent rural areas (33 per 1,000) or more remote rural areas (35 per 1,000). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #258, Hospital Burden of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays: Metropolitan and Rural Hospitals, 2016.)

Traumatic Brain Injury Due to Assault
In 2017, about 25 percent of hospitalizations related to treatment of traumatic brain injuries for children younger than 5 years old were caused by assault. (Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #255, Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Involving Traumatic Brain Injury, 2017.)

Highest Rates of Traumatic Brain Injury
Population rates of hospitalizations and emergency department visits related to treatment of traumatic brain injuries in 2017 were highest among people living in low-income and rural areas, and in the Midwest. (Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #255, Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Involving Traumatic Brain Injury, 2017.)

Use of Morphine To Treat Pain
Overall in 2015-2016, non-elderly U.S. adults obtained an annual average of 376 milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs), and elderly adults obtained an annual average of 774 MMEs of outpatient prescription opioids to treat chronic and acute pain. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #45: Average Annual Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MMEs) of Outpatient Prescription Opioids and Share of Total MMEs among Elderly and Non-Elderly Adults in 2015–2016.)

Disparities in Anemia
The percentage of U.S. hemodialysis patients with hemoglobin below 10 gm/dL (grams per deciliter) in 2015 was 19.0 percent among blacks; 15.6 percent among whites; 13.8 percent among Asians; and 13.7 percent among Alaskan Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs). Anemia occurs when hemoglobin levels are less than 13.0 gm/dL for males and 12.0 gm/dL for females. (Anemia Increasing in Hemodialysis Patients, Especially for Blacks, December 2019 [PDF, 586 KB]).

Patient Safety Culture in Nursing Homes
Nursing home staff completing AHRQ's Nursing Home Survey on Patient Safety Culture in 2019 gave the highest positive response— 85 percent—to "overall perceptions of nursing home resident safety" and staff "feedback and communication about incidents." (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety, 2019 [PDF, 2.4 MB].)

Inappropriate Medications for Seniors
The total percentage of adults age 65 and older who received at least one of 33 inappropriate prescription medications declined from 19 percent in 2002 to 10 percent in 2016. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety, 2019 [PDF, 2.4 MB].)

Employee Share of Healthcare Premiums
Among private-sector establishments offering health insurance in 2018, enrolled employees paid 21.3 percent of the premium for single coverage, 27.1 percent for employee-plus-one coverage, and 27.8 percent for family coverage. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component 2018 Chartbook.)

Choice of Healthcare Plans
Among private-sector establishments offering health insurance, the percentage of employees with a choice of health plans increased from 72.4 percent in 2017 to 75.7 percent in 2018. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component 2018 Chartbook.)

Lowest Healthcare Premiums in the United States
In 2018, average annual healthcare premiums for single coverage in employer-sponsored plans were significantly lower than the national average of $6,715 in 14 states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component 2018 Chartbook.)

Highest Healthcare Premiums in the Nation
Average annual healthcare premiums for single coverage in employer-sponsored plans in 2018 were significantly higher than the national average in nine states: Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia (treated as a state in this analysis), Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component 2018 Chartbook.)

Employee Healthcare Contributions
The average annual employee contribution for single coverage in employer-sponsored health insurance plans rose from $723 in 2005 to $1,427 in 2018. For family coverage, the contribution increased from $2,890 in 2005 to $5,431 in 2018. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey—Insurance Component 2018 Chartbook.)

Workforce Age and Employee Healthcare Contributions
Average employee contributions toward family healthcare coverage in 2018 were $5,905 per year in companies where workers age 50 or older made up less than a quarter of the workforce. By comparison, employee contributions were $5,255 where 50 to 74 percent of workers were over 50. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #527: Premiums and Employee Contributions to Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by Workforce Age and Firm Size, Private Industry, 2018.)

Brand-Name and Generic Drugs
From 2011 to 2016, the share of filled prescriptions that were nonspecialty, single-source, brand-name drugs decreased from 22 to 11 percent while nonspecialty generic equivalents increased from 72 to 83 percent. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #44: Retail Drug Prices, Out-of-Pocket Costs, and Discounts and Markups Relative to List Prices: Trends and Differences by Drug Type and Insurance Status, 2011 to 2016 [PDF, 890 KB].)

Average Per-Pill Prices for Prescription
In 2016, average prescription prices ranged from $1.00 per pill for nonspecialty generic drugs to $324.65 per pill for specialty drugs. People with private insurance had an overall per-pill price averaging $14.46, which was two to three times as high as the average per-pill price paid by those with Medicare Part D ($6.95), Medicaid ($7.67), and the uninsured ($4.25). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #44: Retail Drug Prices, Out-of-Pocket Costs, and Discounts and Markups Relative to List Prices: Trends and Differences by Drug Type and Insurance Status, 2011 to 2016 [PDF, 890 KB].)

Delivery Stays With a Substance Use Diagnosis
Among women giving birth in hospitals and diagnosed with substance use disorder, rates of severe pre-eclampsia/eclampsia were higher for those living in urban areas (44.3 per 1,000 delivery stays) than for those living in rural areas (31.8 per 1,000). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #254: Obstetric Delivery Inpatient Stays Involving Substance Use Disorders and Related Clinical Outcomes, 2016.)

Impact of Gender on Healthcare Premiums
Among companies where women accounted for 75 percent or more of the workforce, employer-sponsored healthcare coverage averaged $20,593 per family in 2018. Premiums averaged $18,875, meanwhile, where women represented less than 25 percent of the workforce. Women have higher healthcare expenses than men, which impacts the amount of healthcare premiums. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #525: Premiums and Employee Contributions to Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by Workforce Gender and Firm Size, Private Industry, 2018.)

Cost Differences for Pediatric Hospital Care
The average cost of a pediatric hospital stay for a complicated birth in 2016 was higher when the expected payer was Medicaid ($9,700 per stay) as compared with private insurance ($8,300 per stay). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #250: Costs of Pediatric Hospital Stays, 2016.)

High-Cost Pediatric Hospital Care
Pediatric hospital stays with the highest cost in 2016 involved the circulatory system and averaged $56,300 per stay. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #250: Costs of Pediatric Hospital Stays, 2016.)

Healthcare Premiums and Workforce Gender
Among companies where women accounted for 75 percent or more of the workforce, employer-sponsored healthcare premiums averaged $7,233 for single coverage in 2018. Premiums averaged $6,400, meanwhile, where women accounted for less than 25 percent of the workforce. Women have higher medical expenses than men, which influences premiums. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #525: Premiums and Employee Contributions to Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by Workforce Gender and Firm Size, Private Industry, 2018.)

Hospital Readmissions for Sickle Cell Disease
One-third of hospital stays for sickle cell disease in 2016 resulted in a readmission within 30 days, compared with 13 percent of hospital stays unrelated to sickle cell disease. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #251, Characteristics of Inpatient Hospital Stays Involving Sickle Cell Disease, 2000–2016.)

Pediatric Hospital Costs for Childbirth
In 2016, pediatric hospitalization costs averaged about $8,900 for a complicated birth and $1,200 for an uncomplicated birth. Meanwhile, the cost of a pediatric hospital stay (excluding births) averaged $13,400. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #250: Costs of Pediatric Hospital Stays, 2016.)

Hospital Stays for Sickle Cell Disease
Costs of hospital stays specifically for sickle cell disease totaled $811.4 million in 2016, with an average length of stay of five days. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #251, Characteristics of Inpatient Hospital Stays Involving Sickle Cell Disease, 2000-2016.)

Uninsured Population
The percentage of adults ages 18 to 64 who were uninsured at any time during the calendar year fell from about 24 percent in 2015 (45.1 million adults) to 22 percent in 2016 (42.3 million adults). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #42: Non-Elderly Adults Ever Uninsured During the Calendar Year, 2013-2016.)

Pediatric Hospital Care for Childbirth
Childbirth represented about 30 percent of pediatric hospital costs in 2016 yet constituted about 60 percent of pediatric hospitalizations that year. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #250: Costs of Pediatric Hospital Stays, 2016.)

Where Patients Obtain Their Usual Source of Provider Care
Among adults with four or more office visits to their usual source of provider care in 2016, fewer were treated by a physician network owned by a hospital (25 percent) compared with an independent practice (29 percent) or a nonprofit/government clinic (27 percent). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #523: Number of Adult Visits by Characteristics of Practices Identified as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2016—Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

Opioid Hospitalizations Among Women
The rate of opioid-related hospitalizations was higher among women (302 stays per 100,000 people) than men (291 stays per 100,000) in 2016. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Fast Stats: Opioid Related Hospital Use.)

Alcohol Use Screening and Counseling
Only about one-third to one-half of Americans ages 35 and older received alcohol use screening and counseling in 2015. (Source: MEPS Research Findings #14: Use of Clinical Preventive Services in the United States: Estimates from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 2015.)

Vaccination for Shingles
Fewer than four in 10 Americans 65 and older received the shingles vaccine in 2015. (Source: MEPS Research Findings #41: Use of Clinical Preventive Services in the United States: Estimates From the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 2015.)

Patients’ Usual Source of Provider Care
Among adults who had four or more office visits to their usual source of provider care in 2016, more were treated at a large medical practice (31 percent) as compared with small or medium-sized practices (27 percent each). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #523: Number of Adult Visits by Characteristics of Practices Identified as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2016—Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

Depression Screening
Fewer than half of all Americans ages 35 and older were screened for depression in 2015. (Source: MEPS Research Findings #41: Use of Clinical Preventive Services in the United States: Estimates from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 2015.)

Colon Cancer Screenings
Among women ages 50–64, 61.2 percent received colon cancer screening in 2015, compared with only 56.2 percent of men in the same age group. (Source: MEPS Research Findings #41: Use of Clinical Preventive Services in the United States: Estimates from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), 2015).

Common Mental and Substance Use Disorders
In 2016, one in five hospitalizations for mental and substance use disorders was for alcohol disorders and schizophrenia. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #249: Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016.)

Confirming Patients Understand Their Healthcare Instructions
Less than one-third (30 percent) of adults whose providers gave them healthcare instructions reported that they were always asked to describe the information in their own words, which is the first step of the "teach-back" method, an evidence-based technique providers can use to confirm patients understand their instructions. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Data Spotlight: Health Literacy and the Teach-Back Method [PDF, 753 KB].)

Readmissions Cost More Than Initial Admissions
Compared with initial hospital admissions costs, average costs for readmissions were 90 percent higher for ear/mastoid diseases ($12,900 vs. $6,800) and 63 percent higher for skin diseases ($13,200 vs. $8,100) in 2016. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #248: Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2010-2016.)

Hospitalization for Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Nearly 10 million hospital stays in 2016 involved a mental and substance use disorder (MSUD). Six percent of all U.S. hospitalizations involved a principal diagnosis of MSUD (2.2 million stays) while 22 percent had a secondary diagnosis (7.7 million stays). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #249: Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016.)

Hospital Participation in a Medicare Bundled Payment Model
About 28 percent of hospitals that are part of health systems participated in a Medicare bundled payment model in 2016, whereas only 8 percent of nonsystem hospitals participated in Medicare bundled payment models. (Source: Compendium of U.S. Health Systems—Health System Participation in Medicare Bundled Payment Models, 2016 [PDF, 318 KB].)

Mental and Substance Use Disorders Among Men
In 2016, alcohol-related disorders were the most common reason for mental and substance use disorder (MSUD) hospitalizations among men ages 45 to 64. Meanwhile, schizophrenia was the most common reason for MSUD hospitalizations among men ages 18 to 44. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #249: Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016.)

Health Systems Offering Insurance Products
Nearly four in 10 health systems offered an insurance product to patients in 2016. The most common types were health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations. (Source: Compendium of U.S. Health Systems—Provider-Offered Insurance Products Among U.S. Health Systems, 2016 [PDF, 218 KB].)

Increased Use of “Teach-Back” Method
The percentage of adults whose healthcare providers always initiated the “teach-back” method increased from about 24 percent in 2011 to 30 percent in 2015. Teach-back, an evidence-based way of confirming understanding, starts when providers ask patients to describe in their own words what their provider just told them. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Data Spotlight: Health Literacy and the Teach-Back Method [PDF, 753 KB].)

Health Systems Offering Medicare Advantage Plans
About 12 percent of health systems offered a Medicare Advantage insurance plan in 2016. The most common type was a health maintenance organization plan. (Source: Compendium of U.S. Health Systems—Provider-Offered Medicare Advantage Plans Among U.S. Health Systems, 2016 [PDF, 225 KB].)

Hospitalizations for Depressive Disorders
In 2016, one in four hospitalizations for mental and substance use disorders was for depressive disorders. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #249: Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016.)

Diagnosis of Diabetes Among Adults by Race/Ethnicity
In 2015-16, 13 percent of blacks were diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 10 percent of Hispanics and 9 percent each of whites and Asians. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #518: Treatment and Monitoring of Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes by Race/Ethnicity, 2015-2016.)

Health System Participation in Accountable Care Organizations
About 44 percent of hospitals that belonged to health systems in 2016 participated in accountable care organization (ACO) contracts. Meanwhile, only 13 percent of nonsystem hospitals participated in ACOs. (Source: Compendium of U.S. Health Systems—Health System Participation in Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), 2016 [PDF, 241 KB].)

Hospitals’ Participation in Accountable Care Organizations
About 44 percent of hospitals that belonged to health systems in 2016 participated in accountable care organization (ACO) contracts. Meanwhile, only 12 percent of nonsystem hospitals participated in ACOs. (Source: Compendium of U.S. Health Systems—Provider-Offered Medicare Advantage Plans Among U.S. Health Systems, 2016 [PDF, 225 KB].)

Hospital Costs for Mental and Substance Use Disorders
Hospitalizations primarily to treat mental and substance use disorders cost $15.3 billion in 2016, or 3.6 percent of total U.S. hospital costs. The average stay was 6.5 days and cost $7,100. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #249: Inpatient Stays Involving Mental and Substance Use Disorders, 2016.)

Treatment for Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes
In 2015–16, only 15 percent of Asian adults diagnosed with diabetes reported using insulin injections to treat the condition, about half the rate of other racial/ethnic groups. Asians were more likely to report having their diabetes treated by diet modification and oral medication but no insulin injections. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #518: Treatment and Monitoring of Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes by Race/Ethnicity, 2015–2016.)

Highest and Lowest Hospital Readmission Rates
The highest hospital readmission rates in 2016 were due to blood diseases (25 percent) and tumors (18 percent) while the lowest readmission rate was related to pregnancy/childbirth (4 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #248: Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2010–2016.)

Improvement in Patient Safety Measures
From 2000 to 2016, more than two-thirds of patient safety measures were improving overall. Measures showing the most improvement included reduced adverse events among hospital patients receiving knee and hip joint replacement. (Source: National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety, October 2018 [PDF, 2.1 MB].

State Variations in Health Plan Enrollment
In 2016, Alaska had the highest percent (36 percent) of private- sector employees enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans with annual single-coverage premiums of at least $8,500. Arkansas had the lowest (5 percent). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #519: Enrollment in High-Premium Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by State: Private Industry, 2016.)

Hospital Readmission Rates by Payer
From 2010 to 2016, the overall hospital readmission rate decreased 7 percent for Medicare patients and 14 percent for uninsured patients, while remaining stable for patients with Medicaid or private insurance. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #248: Characteristics of 30-Day All-Cause Hospital Readmissions, 2010-2016.)

Deaths After Colorectal Surgery
The rate of adults who died within 30 days after colorectal surgery decreased from 4.3 percent in 2008 to 2.9 percent in 2017. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety [PDF,  2.1 MB].)

A1C Tests for Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes
In 2015-16, at least one in five adults with diabetes in all racial and ethnic groups did not know whether they had received an A1C test during the year. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #518: Treatment and Monitoring of Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes by Race/Ethnicity, 2015-2016.)

Employer Health Plan Enrollment
An estimated 10 percent of private-sector employees were enrolled in an employer-sponsored health plan having an annual premium of at least $24,000 for family coverage in 2016. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #519: Enrollment in High-Premium Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by State: Private Industry, 2016.)

Enrollment in Employer Health Plans
An estimated 10 percent of private-sector employees were enrolled in an employer-sponsored health plan having an annual premium of at least $8,500 for single coverage in 2016. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #519: Enrollment in High-Premium Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance by State: Private Industry, 2016.)

Opioid-Related Hospital Care for Seniors
From 2010 to 2015, the rate of opioid-related hospital stays increased between 27 and 39 percent among patients age 65 and older, depending on the age group. Non–opioid-related hospital stays decreased 17 percent for patients age 65 and older during the same period. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #244: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015.)

Variations in Opioid Use According to Health Status
While fewer than 9 percent of elderly Americans in excellent health filled any outpatient opioid prescriptions in 2015–2016, nearly 40 percent of those in poor health did. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #515: Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Elderly Adults in 2015-2016.)

Monitoring Exams for Adults Diagnosed With Diabetes
In 2015–16, an annual average of 89 percent of white adults diagnosed with diabetes had their blood cholesterol checked, compared with 83 percent of black adults and 82 percent of Hispanic adults. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #518: Treatment and Monitoring of Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes by Race/Ethnicity, 2015–2016.)

Children With ADHD
The percentage of children ages 5 to 12 diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increased from 8.5 percent to 10.4 percent between 2008 and 2015. Meanwhile, the rate of ADHD remained stable at 13 percent for children ages 13 to 17. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #514: Reported Diagnosis and Prescription Utilization Related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Ages 5–17, 2008–2015.)

Opioid-Related Emergency Care for Seniors
Among patients age 65 and older, the number of opioid-related emergency department visits doubled from 18,100 visits in 2010 to 36,200 visits in 2015. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #244: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015.)

Colorectal Surgery Deaths
The 30-day mortality rate after colorectal surgery in 2017 was lower for Hispanics (2.2 percent) compared with whites (2.8 percent) or blacks (3.5 percent). (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety [PDF, 2.2 MB].)

Complications After a Hip Replacement
The rate of adult patients who experienced complications after hip replacement surgery fell from 8 percent in 2010 to 4 percent in 2015. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety [PDF, 2.2 MB].)

Trauma During Childbirth
The rate of obstetric trauma during childbirth involving instruments such as forceps or vacuums declined from 2000 to 2015, from 196 to 119 instances per 1,000 deliveries, respectively. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Patient Safety [PDF, 2.2 MB].)

Opioid Use Among Seniors
More than 19 percent of seniors filled at least one outpatient opioid prescription per year, on average, in 2015-16. More than 7 percent obtained four or more. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #515: Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Elderly Adults in 2015-2016, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.)

ADHD Diagnoses and Family Income
In 2014–15, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was diagnosed at a higher rate among children in lower-income families (15 percent) than children in upper-income families (9 percent). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #514: Reported Diagnosis and Prescription Utilization Related to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children Ages 5–17, 2008–2015.)

Number of Health Care Practitioners
In 2017, there were 951,000 active medical doctors in the United States. In 2016 (the latest year for which statistics were available), there were 2.9 million registered nurses, 2.4 million health technologists and 2.6 million nursing and other aides. An additional 361,000 health practitioners provided care, including more than 104,000 physician assistants. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.

Prevalence of Health Care Systems
In 2016, about 70 percent of all hospitals were in health systems. Those hospitals accounted for about 88 percent of all beds and 92 percent of all discharges. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Variations in Opioids Use According to Income
Nearly 10 percent of elderly adults who were poor and 11 percent of those who were low income obtained at least four opioid prescription fills in 2015–2016, compared with just under 5 percent of high-income elderly adults. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #515: Any Use and Frequent Use of Opioids among Elderly Adults in 2015–2016, by Socioeconomic Characteristics.)

Disparities in Health Care
About 55 percent of health care quality measures improved overall between 2000 and 2014–2015 for blacks. However, the most recent data show that about 40 percent of quality measures remain worse for blacks compared with whites. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Growth in Medicaid Coverage for Pediatric Emergency Care
From 2007 to 2015, the number of pediatric emergency department visits covered by Medicaid increased more than 50 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #242: Overview of Pediatric Emergency Department Visits, 2015.)

Disparities in Health Care
About three-fifths of health care quality measures improved overall between 2000 and 2014–2015 for Hispanics. But in 2014–2015, nearly one-third of quality measures remained worse for Hispanics compared with non-Hispanic whites. (Source: AHRQ 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Opioid-Related Hospitalizations for Older Americans
Among patients ages 65 years and older, the rate of opioid-related hospitalizations increased 34 percent while the rate of non-opioid-related hospitalizations decreased 17 percent between 2010 and 2015. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #244: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Among Patients Aged 65 Years and Older, 2010 and 2015.)

Regional Variations in Severe Maternal Morbidity
The severe maternal morbidity rate was highest in hospitals located in the Northeast (165 per 10,000 deliveries) and lowest in the Midwest (116 per 10,000) in 2015. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #243: Trends and Disparities in Delivery Hospitalizations Involving Severe Maternal Morbidity, 2006-2015.)

Pediatric Emergency Care for Influenza
Among children visiting the emergency department for influenza in 2015, infants younger than 1 year old had the highest rate of visits (11.4 visits per 1,000 population) compared with children ages 1 to 4 (8.6 visits per 1,000). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #242: Overview of Pediatric Emergency Department Visits, 2015.)

Medicaid Coverage for Pediatric Emergency Care
Medicaid was the primary payer for more than 60 percent of pediatric emergency department visits in 2015. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #242: Overview of Pediatric Emergency Department Visits, 2015.)

 Hospital Stays for Physical and Mental Health/Substance Use Conditions
The percentage of adult hospitalizations involving both physical health and mental health/substance use conditions increased from 38 percent in 2010 to 45 percent by 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #240: Co-occurrence of Physical Health Conditions and Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions Among Adult Inpatient Stays, 2010 Versus 2014.)

Uninsured Rates for Part-Time and Full-Time Workers
From 2005 to 2015, the percent of uninsured part-time workers dropped by 6.6 percentage points (from 19.3 to 12.7 percent). The percent uninsured among full-time workers fell by 3.0 percentage points (from 12.6 to 9.6 percent) during the same time period.(Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #511: Differences in Health Insurance Coverage between Part-Time and Full-Time Private-Sector Workers, 2005 and 2015.)

Use of Electronic Health or Medical Records
More than 90 percent of medical practices that were visited and served as patients' usual source of care in 2015 used an electronic health or medical record system. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #509: Characteristics of Practices Used as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2015, by Age—Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

 Increased Emergency Department Visits
The rate of emergency department visits increased for all age groups between 2006 and 2015. The highest increase—20 percent—was among patients between 45 and 64. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #238, Trends in Hospital Emergency Department Visits by Age and Payer, 2006–2015.)

Care Provided by Nurse Practitioners and Physician's Assistants 
About 54 percent of adults who saw their usual source of care provider in 2015 visited a practice that had two or more nurse practitioners or physician's assistants. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #509: Characteristics of Practices Used as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2015, by Age—Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

Same-Day Appointments
More than 95 percent of medical practices that serve as patients' usual source of care and were visited in 2015 routinely set aside time for same-day appointments. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #509: Characteristics of Practices Used as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2015, by Age—Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

Increased Medicaid Hospitalizations
From 2000 to 2015, the share of hospitalizations with Medicaid as primary payer grew 74 percent for patients ages 18 to 44 and 68 percent for those ages 45 to 64. Those rates do not include hospitalizations for pregnancies or newborns. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #235: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays by Age and Payer, 2000-2015.)

Declining Hospitalizations Among Emergency Department Patients
Hospital admissions declined between 2006 and 2015 among people seeking care at emergency departments. The biggest decline—27 percent—was among patients under age 18. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #238, Trends in Hospital Emergency Department Visits by Age and Payer, 2006–2015.)

Decreasing Pressure Ulcers Among Hospital Patients
The average rate of hospital-associated pressure ulcers fell 23 percent from 2011 to 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #237: Patient Safety and Adverse Events, 2011 and 2014.)

Retention of Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage
About 77 percent of people who had Health Insurance Marketplace coverage in December 2014 retained their coverage in December 2015. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #510, Transitions in Health Insurance Status: Longitudinal Data from the MEPS-Household Component, 2013–2015.)

Declining In-Hospital Hip Fractures
The average hospital rate of in-hospital hip fractures due to falls decreased 74 percent from 2011 to 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #237: Patient Safety and Adverse Events, 2011 and 2014.)

Increased Hospital Stays for Kidney Failure
While the overall rate of hospital stays for acute kidney failure increased 66 percent nationwide between 2005 and 2014, the increase was higher for low-income people (86 percent) and patients ages 45 to 64 (79 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #231: Acute Renal Failure Hospitalizations, 2005–2014.)

Demographics of Veterans
Veterans treated at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities in 2014-15 were more likely to be age 65 or older, black, lower income and in poorer health compared with veterans who received treatment at non-VA facilities only. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #508: Characteristics and Health Care Expenditures of VA Health System Users versus Other Veterans, 2014–2015 (Combined).)

Surgical Hospital Stays
While hospitalizations involving surgery accounted for 29 percent of hospital stays in 2014, those stays represented 48 percent of the $386.2 billion in total hospital costs that year. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #233: Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2014.)

Household Expenses for Health Care
Among families with no elderly members, out-of-pocket expenses for health care averaged $451 in 2015. These expenses increased with family income, however. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #507: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses for Non-Elderly Families by Income and Family Structure, 2015.)

Hospital Stays Involving Surgery
The number of hospitalizations involving operating room procedures decreased from 11.1 million in 2011 to 10.1 million in 2014. Total costs for those hospitalizations, however, increased from about $185 billion to $187 billion. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #233: Overview of Operating Room Procedures During Inpatient Stays in U.S. Hospitals, 2014, and Statistical Brief #170: Characteristics of Operating Room Procedures in U.S. Hospitals, 2011.)

Pressure Ulcer Rates of Hospital Patients
About 1.2 million cases of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers occurred in 2015. That reflected a rate of about 36 per 1,000 discharges, a decrease over the 2010 rate of 40 per 1,000 discharges. (Source: 2017 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Family Expenses for Health Care
About 14 percent of families had out-of-pocket health care expenses exceeding $2,500 in 2015. This level of expense occurred in 4 percent of poor families and 22 percent of high-income families. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #507: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses for Non-Elderly Families by Income and Family Structure, 2015.)

Veterans' Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses
Out-of-pocket medical expenses accounted for 7 percent of total expenses for veterans who used Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities in 2014-15. That compared with 15 percent for veterans treated at non-VA facilities only. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #508: Characteristics and Health Care Expenditures of VA Health System Users versus Other Veterans, 2014-2015 (Combined))

Private Insurance vs. Medicaid for Hospital Payments
Medicaid was the primary payer for 54 percent of hospitalizations for patients younger than 18 (excluding hospitalizations for pregnancies and newborns) in 2015. That represented a sizeable increase from 2000, when Medicaid paid for 39 percent of hospitalizations in that category. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #235: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays by Age and Payer, 2000-2015.)

Decline in Hospitalizations
While the rate of hospitalizations (excluding pregnancies and newborns) declined for all age groups from 2000 to 2015, the biggest drop—25 percent—occurred among patients 65 and older. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #235: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays by Age and Payer, 2000–2015.)

Atrial Fibrillation Hospitalization Rate Rises for Americans Under 65
Hospital stays involving atrial fibrillation increased more than 50 percent for Americans age 18 to 64 from 1998 to 2014. Rates have stabilized in recent years for those age 65 and older. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #236: Inpatient Stays Involving Atrial Fibrillation, 1998–2014.)

Increased Suicide Rates in Rural Areas
From 1999 to 2015, suicide rates among American Indians and Alaska Natives in nonmetropolitan areas increased from about 21 to 34 per 100,000 people. Rates also increased among whites, from 17 to 25 per 100,000, and among blacks, from 7 to 8 per 100,000. (Source: AHRQ 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, Chartbook on Rural Health Care.)

'Baby Boomer' Hospital Stays Involving Hepatitis C
Hospital stays involving hepatitis C increased the most—67 percent—among "Baby Boomers" (ages 52–72) between 2005 and 2014. During the same period, hospital stays involving hepatitis C decreased 15 percent among patients ages 18 to 51. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #232: Characteristics of Inpatient Stays Involving Hepatitis C, 2005-2014.)

Trends in Dental Expenses
The average annual expense for dental care was $696 in 2015. That compares with $374 ($564 when adjusted for inflation) in 1996. (Source: AHRQ, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #38: Dental Services: Use, Expenses, Source of Payment, Coverage and Procedure Type, 1996-2015.)

Cost of Hospital Stays for Kidney Failure
The cost for a hospital stay in 2014 involving acute kidney failure averaged $19,200, nearly twice the $9,900 average cost for stays not involving kidney failure. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #231: Acute Renal Failure Hospitalizations, 2005-2014.)

Increased Hospital Stays for Hepatitis C
Hospital stays solely to treat hepatitis C increased 49 percent from 2005 to 2014. During the same period, hospital stays to treat hepatitis C in patients with other conditions such as hepatitis B or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) increased by 11 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #232: Characteristics of Inpatient Stays Involving Hepatitis C, 2005-2014.)

Payments Vary for Public, Private Physician Office Visits
Medicaid payments to physicians for office visits in 2014-15 averaged 62 percent of payments made to physicians by employer-sponsored insurance. (Source: Public and Private Payments For Physician Office Visits, Health Aff 2017 Dec;36(12):2160-2164.)

Highest Hospital Readmission Rates by Payer
Thirty-day all-cause hospital readmission rates in 2014 were highest among patients covered by Medicare (17 percent), followed by those with Medicaid (14 percent), no insurance (12 percent) and private insurance (9 percent). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #230: A Comparison of All-Cause 7-Day and 30-Day Readmissions, 2014.)

Highest Hospital Readmission Rates
Thirty-day all-cause hospital readmission rates in 2014 were highest for patients with congestive heart failure (23.2 per 100 admissions), schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders (22.9), and respiratory failure (21.6). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #230: A Comparison of All-Cause 7-Day and 30-Day Readmissions, 2014.)

Schizophrenia's Role in Hospital Admissions
Schizophrenia was the principal diagnosis in more than half of African Americans who were homeless and admitted to hospitals through emergency departments for mental or substance use disorders in 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #229: Characteristics of Homeless Individuals Using Emergency Department Services in 2014.)

Trends in Payments for Emergency Department Care
From 2006 to 2014, the number of emergency department (ED) visits covered by Medicaid increased by 66 percent while the number covered by Medicare rose by 29 percent. ED visits covered by private insurance, meanwhile, decreased by 10 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #227: Trends in Emergency Department Visits, 2006–2014.)

Trends in Emergency Department Visits
Emergency department (ED) visits increased 15 percent from 2006 to 2014. During that time, ED visits for injuries decreased by 13 percent while ED visits for mental health/substance abuse increased by 44 percent. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #227: Trends in Emergency Department Visits, 2006–2014.)

Insurance Payments for Child Orthopedic Visits
The average payment for a child's visit to an orthopedist when covered by private insurance was $423 in 2014-2015, compared with $162 when covered by Medicaid. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #504: Differences in Payments for Child Visits to Office-Based Physicians: Private versus Medicaid Insurance, 2010 to 2015.)

Differences in Insurance Payments for Child Visits to Physicians
In 2015, payments for child visits to a physician's office averaged $88 higher when covered by private insurance compared with visits covered by Medicaid. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #504: Differences in Payments for Child Visits to Office-Based Physicians: Private versus Medicaid Insurance, 2010 to 2015.)

Medication Errors Among Seniors
The percentage of adults age 65 and older who received potentially inappropriate prescription medications declined from 19 percent in 2003 to 12 percent in 2014. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Hospital-Acquired Conditions
The overall rate of hospital-acquired conditions, such as pressure ulcers or adverse drug events, decreased 21 percent between 2010 and 2015, from 145 to 115 per 1,000 hospital discharges. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparity Report, Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Insurance Trends Among Hispanics, Blacks
The uninsured rate among Hispanics declined from 42 percent in 2010 to 26 percent in 2016. The uninsured rate for blacks during the same period declined from 28 percent to 15 percent. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Disparities in Patient Safety
In 2013-2014, blacks and Hispanics received worse health care than whites in more than 20 percent of patient safety measures. Meanwhile, Asians received worse care than whites for 35 percent of such measures. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report, Chartbook on Patient Safety.)

Decreasing Uninsurance
From 2010 to 2016, the overall rate of uninsured people under age 65 decreased from 18 percent to 11 percent. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Health Care Coverage for Young Adults
Young adults ages 18 to 29 made up the largest percentage of people gaining health care coverage from 2010 to 2016. The uninsured rate for this group declined by more than half, from 31 percent to 15 percent. (Source: 2016 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report.)

Coverage for Patients With Chronic Conditions
About 15 percent of Americans under 65 with no chronic conditions lacked health insurance throughout 2015, down from about 23 percent in 2013. The trend was similar among nonelderly adults with at least one chronic condition, whose uninsurance rate dropped to about 9 percent in 2015 from 16 percent in 2013. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Research Findings #36: Uninsurance and Insurance Transitions, 2012-2013 through 2014-2015: Estimates for U.S., Non-Elderly Adults by Health Status, Presence of Chronic Conditions, and State Medicaid Expansion Status.)

Opioid-Related Hospital Stays Increase in Small Metro Areas
Opioid-related hospital stays more than doubled nationwide between 2005 and 2014 in small metropolitan areas (counties with 50,000 to 249,000 people). (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #226: Patient Residence Characteristics of Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits Nationally and by State, 2014.)

Cost Trends for Hospital Stays
From 2005 to 2014, the average inflation-adjusted cost of a hospital stay increased approximately 13 percent, from $9,500 to $10,900. Average costs for stays covered by Medicaid and private insurance increased 16 to 18 percent. Costs rose 8 percent for Medicare stays and 7 percent for uninsured stays. (AHRQ, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #225: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays in the United States, 2005-2014.)

Insurance Coverage for Hospital Stays
From 2005 to 2014, the number of Medicaid-insured hospital stays increased nearly 16 percent, while privately insured and uninsured hospital stays both decreased nearly 13 percent. Medicare-insured stays remained essentially unchanged. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #225: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays in the United States, 2005-2014.)

Hospital Stays Decline for Coronary Atherosclerosis
Hospital stays for coronary atherosclerosis decreased from more than 1 million in 2005 to fewer than 400,000 in 2014, a decline of more than 60 percent. (Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #225: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays in the United States, 2005-2014.)

Hospital Care for Mental Health/Substance Use
The proportion of hospital stays for mental health/substance use increased by 20 percent from 2005 to 2014, representing nearly 6 percent of all hospital stays by 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #225: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays in the United States, 2005-2014.)

Hospital Care for Septicemia
Hospital stays for septicemia (blood infection) nearly tripled between 2005 and 2014 and exceeded more than 1.5 million stays by 2014. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #225: Trends in Hospital Inpatient Stays in the United States, 2005-2014.)

Declines in Employer-Sponsored Insurance
Enrollment rates for employer-sponsored insurance fell 7.1 percentage points from 2008 to 2015 in states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The decline was 4.5 percentage points in non-expansion states. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #499, Trends in Enrollment, Offers, Eligibility and Take-Up for Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Private Sector, by State Medicaid Expansion Status, 2008-2015.)

Outpatient Appendectomies
Of nearly 448,000 appendectomies in 2014, about 47 percent were performed as outpatient procedures. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #223, Surgeries in Hospital-Based Ambulatory Surgery and Hospital Inpatient Settings, 2014.)

Hospital Stays for Older HIV Patients
Although hospital stays for patients diagnosed with HIV fell 49 percent from 2006 to 2013, stays among older HIV patients increased—by 27 percent for patients between 55 and 64, and by 57 percent for patients 65 and older. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #206: HIV Hospital Stays in the United States, 2006‑2013.)

Outpatient Cardiac Surgeries
In 2014, 53 percent of hospital-based surgeries involving the insertion, revision, replacement or removal of a cardiac pacemaker or cardioverter/defibrillator were performed in an outpatient setting. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #223, Surgeries in Hospital-Based Ambulatory Surgery and Hospital Inpatient Settings, 2014.)

Highest Average Expenses for Common Conditions
For the nine most commonly treated conditions among U.S. adults in 2013, the highest average expenses per person were for the treatment of heart conditions ($3,794 per person), trauma-related disorders ($3,070) and diabetes ($2,565). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #487: Expenditures for Commonly Treated Conditions among Adults Age 18 and Older in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2013.

Patterns in Office-Based Medical Care
Among people with a usual doctor's office to visit for medical care in 2015, a majority visited an independent physician practice (55 percent). Others visited a hospital-owned physician network (19 percent) or a nonprofit or government clinic (17 percent). (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #502: Characteristics of Practices Used as Usual Source of Care Providers during 2015 – Results from the MEPS Medical Organizations Survey.)

Hospital Costs for HIV Patients
The overall hospital costs of treating patients with HIV fell by 12 percent between 2006 and 2013, from $3.2 billion to $2.8 billion. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #206: HIV Hospital Stays in the United States, 2006–2013.

Declines in Employer-Sponsored Insurance
The insurance enrollment rate for private-sector employees in states that expanded Medicaid fell by 7.1 percentage points from 2008 to 2015, while the decline was 4.5 percentage points in non-expansion states. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief 499, Trends in Enrollment, Offers, Eligibility and Take-Up for Employer-Sponsored Insurance: Private Sector, by State Medicaid Expansion Status, 2008-2015.)

Substance Abuse-Related Disorders Among Hospitalized HIV Patients
Substance abuse-related disorders among hospitalized HIV patients decreased by 27 percent from 2006 to 2013. (Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Statistical Brief #206: HIV Hospital Stays in the United States, 2006–2013.)

National Health Care Spending
Of the $1.4 trillion spent on health care in 2013, about 38 percent of spending was for ambulatory care while about 28 percent was for hospital inpatient care and 22 percent was for prescription medicines. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #491: National Health Care Expenses in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, Distributions by Type of Service and Source of Payment, 2013.)

Medical Care for Children
In 2014, approximately 8 percent of U.S. children younger than 18 (about 5.8 million children) were reported as not having a usual source of care. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #501: Children's Usual Source of Care: Insurance, Income, and Racial/Ethnic Disparities, 2004-2014.)

Out-of-Pocket Spending Among Seniors
Among seniors with Medicare and additional public coverage such as Medicaid, inflation-adjusted out-of-pocket payments for medical care decreased from an average of $1,253 in 2000 to $427 in 2014. (Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #500: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Expenses for Medical Services, by Insurance Coverage, 2000-2014.)

Decline in Hospital-Acquired Conditions
Improvements in patient safety led to fewer deaths from hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) from 2010 to 2015. Compared with the HAC rate in 2010, more than 37,000 fewer patients died from HACs in 2015. The improvement saved about $8.3 billion in 2015. (Source: National Scorecard on Rates of Hospital-Acquired Conditions 2010 to 2015: Interim Data From National Efforts to Make Health Care Safer.)

Medicare "Super-Utilizer" Patients
"Super-utilizers"—patients who visit an emergency department (ED) four times or more in a year—accounted for 19 percent of ED visits by people on Medicare for urinary tract infections in 2014. (Source: Characteristics of Emergency Department Visits for Super-Utilizers by Payer, 2014.)

Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Chronic Conditions
Among adults with health care expenses in 2014, those treated for multiple chronic conditions had average out-of-pocket expenses that were more than three times as high as expenses for adults with one or no chronic condition ($13,031 versus $3,579). (Source: Out-of-Pocket Expenditures for Adults with Health Care Expenses for Multiple Chronic Conditions, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2014.)

Opioid-Related Emergency Department Care
Opioid-related emergency department visits more than doubled between 2009 and 2014 in three states—Minnesota, Ohio and South Dakota.  (Source: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visit by State, 2009-2014.)

Insurance for Young Adults
As of mid-2015, young adults ages 18 to 29 were the most likely to gain health insurance coverage since January 2010. The uninsured rate for this group declined from 31 percent to 15 percent. (Source: 2015 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report and 5th Anniversary Update on the National Quality Strategy.)

Patient-Provider Communication
From 2002 to 2013, the portion of uninsured adults who reported poor communication with health care providers dropped from 19 percent to 14 percent. (Source: 2015 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Person- and Family-Centered Care.)

End-of-Life Care
In 2014, hospice patients who were age 65 and older reported receiving care consistent with their end-of-life wishes about 95 percent of the time. (Source: 2015 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Chartbook on Person- and Family-Centered Care.)

Opioid-Related Emergency Department Care
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland, Ohio and Connecticut were the states with the highest rates of opioid-related emergency department visits in 2014. (Source: Opioid-Related Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits by State, 2009-2014.)

Readmissions for Malnutrition
In 2013, the 30-day hospital readmission rate for patients with malnutrition was 23 per 100 initial hospital stays, compared with 15 per 100 for patients without malnutrition. (Source: All-Cause Readmissions Following Hospital Stays for Patients With Malnutrition, 2013.)

MRSA in California
In 2013, 8 percent of patients in California with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) acquired the infection during a hospital stay. (Source: Hospital-, Health Care-, and Community-Acquired MRSA: Estimates From California Hospitals, 2013.)

Treatment of Burn-Related Injuries
Between 1993 and 2013, rates of burn-related hospital stays decreased 35 percent while burn-related emergency department visits declined 17 percent. Infants had the highest rates of burn-related hospital stays and emergency department visits in 2013. (Source: Burn-Related Hospital Inpatient Stays and Emergency Department Visits, 2013.)

Rates of Hysterectomy and Oophorectomy
Hysterectomies performed in ambulatory surgery or inpatient settings without oophorectomy (removal of ovaries) increased nearly 15 percent from 2005 to 2013. During the same period, however, the rate of hysterectomies performed in combination with oophorectomies decreased nearly 30 percent. (Source: Trends in Hysterectomies and Oophorectomies in Hospital Inpatient and Ambulatory Settings, 2005–2013.)