Spending Concentrated
In any given year, health care spending is concentrated among
a very few patients. Over 20% of the total spending goes
toward the care of just 1% of the population.
Almost half (47.7%) is spent on just 5% of the population.
By contrast, it only takes 3% of the total to take care
of most of the country (50%).
Expenditures are also concentrated on five costly conditions.
Almost a third of the total expenditures are spent on
heart conditions, cancer, trauma care, mental disorders,
and pulmonary (lung) conditions. While spending
on heart conditions is the highest (8.3%), per patient
spending is highest on cancer care.
When total medical spending for people with these
conditions are added together, it accounts for almost
half of total medical spending.
The rise in the number of people being treated for
these conditions has accounted for more than half
of the increase in medical spending. A part of that
is the rise in the percentage of people classified as
obese, along with an expansion of diagnostic
and treatment capabilities.
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