Too High a Price: Out-of-Pocket Health Care Costs in the United States

Whether they have health insurance through an employer or buy it on their own, Americans are paying more out-of-pocket for health care now than they did in the past decade. A Commonwealth Fund survey fielded in the fall of 2014 asked consumers about these costs. More than one in five 19-to-64-year old adults who were insured all year spent 5 percent or more of their income on out-of-pocket costs, not including premiums, and 13 percent spent 10 percent or more. Adults with low incomes had the highest rates of steep out-of-pocket costs. Two of five adults with private insurance who had high deductibles relative to their income said they had delayed needed care because of the deductible.