ISER releases Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ health-care trends from newly compiled public data

by Michelle Saport  |   

All Americans spend a lot to get health care-but Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æns spend the most per resident, face the highest insurance premiums, and have seen overall spending grow much faster. The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) has compiled a new chart book of public data and begun trend analysis to help address public policy questions related to health.

"Health care is a major sector of our economy and ISER is committed to developing nonpartisan resources to help provide Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æns a better understanding of health-care costs and potential ways to change the upward trajectory," said ISER Director Ralph Townsend.

Jessica Passini, Rosyland Frazier, and Mouhcine Guettabi began work more than two years ago compiling data for the chart book. Their highlights trends in Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ's health-care spending since the 1990s, including:

  • In less than 25 years, Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ's spending for health care increased more than 5 times over. Spending was $1.5 billion in 1991, $4.8 billion in 2005, and $8.2 billion by 2014.
  • From 1991 through 2014, health-care spending grew on average 7.8 percent a year in Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and 6.0 percent nationwide.
  • In both Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and nationwide, hospital care still takes the largest share of the health-care dollar. But that share declined somewhat between 1991 and 2014-from 43.2 percent to 42.6 percent in Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ and from 41 percent to 38 percent nationwide.

"The data is wide ranging and easy to access," said Senior Research Professional Rosyland Frazier, co-author of the report. "This is part of ISER's continuing effort to provide information and research to support the development of policies that promote the well-being of all Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æns."

The chart book is a powerful resource that can be used to analyze questions about health-care spending that face Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æns including:

  • What is the effect of Medicaid expansion on access, cost, and health outcomes?
  • How has the Affordable Care Act changed the Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ health care market?
  • What is the effect of medical tourism on insurance premiums?
  • How have the high premiums affected Â鶹ÎÞÂë°æ business growth?
  • Which policies have been successful in improving access, reducing cost, etc?
  • What are the budgetary consequences if health care costs continue to outpace economic growth?

"ISER is continuing to grow resources and expertise in health policy," said ISER Director Ralph Townsend. Resources in include the work of the , which joined ISER in 2015, as well as a recent report on the .

"Spending money on learning what works will help us save money in the long run," Townsend said.

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