Out-Of-Pocket Costs Per Physician Visit Up 3.5% Between 2013 & 2014

Between 2013 and 2014, the amount patients spent per physician visit across all specialties increased by 3.5% for established patients and 2.7% for new patients, largely due to the growth in high-deductible plans that subject more types of health care services to the deductable. While copayments and co-insurance fell, the increase in patient obligations increased by 9.5% for established patients and 7.9% for new patients. Patient obligations were defined as the total amount a patient owes for a visit, including any copayment, co-insurance, and deductible.

These findings were reported in “Tracking Trends In . . .