How Much ‘Skin in the Game’ Is Enough: A Report on Medicare Out-of-Pocket Spending

May 2, 2011 The Kaiser Family Foundation Program on Medicare Policy released a report on Medicare out-of-pocket spending. The report found that Medicare out-of-pocket spending as a percentage of income has been creeping up, from 12% in 1997 to 16% in 2006, and is expected to reach 25% of income by 2020. Most Medicare beneficiaries pay some percentage of their income for health care services. The increasing percentage is attributed to higher premiums for Medicare Advantage plans, supplemental insurance plans, cost-sharing for Medicare covered services, and spending on non-Medicare services, such as dental care . . .