Looks like the so-called recovery didn't help everyone.
New research finds that consumers paid more of the medical spending bill as the nation recovered from the recession.
The research is based on data from the Health Care Cost Institute.
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The study, published in the October issue of Health Affairs, looked at spending on medical services and prescriptions between 2007 and 2011. During this time, spending per person rose at an average annual rate of 4.9 percent, faster than the economy. Per person spending on medical care jumped an average of 5.3 percent annually, while per person spending on prescriptions grew an average of 3.3 percent each year.
Out-of-pocket spending for medical care increased an average of 8 percent each year, compared to a 4.9 percent increase in spending by employers and insurers, research found. The amount consumers paid out of pocket for prescription drugs and devices remained about the same from 2007-2011, as carriers covered a larger portion of prescription costs.
"Overall, spending growth may have slowed after the recession, but consumers, employers, and insurers have had different experiences," said lead author Carolina Herrera, director of research at HCCI. "After the recession, consumers didn't see their out-of-pocket medical spending growth slow, but medical spending growth for employers and health plans did slow."
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