Chartbook on Care Affordability

• Supplemental measures:
  • May provide contextual information related to health care quality.
  • Are not part of the measure set tracked in the QDR because they are difficult to interpret.
• Supplemental measure of Care Affordability:
  • Per capita national health expenditures.

Per Capital National Health Expenditures

Per capita national health expenditures in 2009 $, by largest components, 2003-2014

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditure Data, 2003-2014.
Denominator: U.S. population.
Note: Net cost of health insurance consists of insurers’ costs of paying bills, advertising, sales commissions, and other administrative costs; net additions to reserves; rate credits and dividends; premium taxes; and profits or losses. Other includes other professional services; dental services; other health, residential, and personal care; home health; government administration; other nondurable medical products; durable medical equipment; government public health activities; research; structures; and equipment.

• Importance: Increases in national expenditures on health care can affect costs for consumers.
• Trends:
  • Total per capita national health expenditures in 2009 dollars rose from $7,271 in 2003 to $8,653 in 2014.
  • Expenditures on hospitals and physicians rose an average of 2% per year while expenditures on prescription drugs changed little.
  • The five largest components of national health expenditures were hospital, physician and clinical, prescription drug, and nursing care facilities, along with net cost of health insurance (revenues minus expenses).