Five Percent of Americans Responsible for Half of U.S. Health Spending

In 2008, five percent of Americans (more than 15 million people) were responsible for nearly half of the $1.15 trillion spent on health care in the United States. Their mean annual per capita expenses were $35,820. Nearly two-thirds (63.9%) of all health care spending was incurred by just 10% of the U.S. population. These are findings of “Understanding U.S. Health Care Spending” by Julie A. Schoenman, Ph.D., and Nancy Chockley, MBA, of the National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Education Foundation. They reviewed national health data from the Agency for Healthcare . . .