Research Findings # 0

Table 5. Prescription medicines^a: median and mean expenditures per person with expense and distribution of expenditures by source of payment, U.S., 1997

Annual total expense per person with expense

|
|
|
|

Percent distribution of total expenses by source of payment

Population characteristic

Total population (in thousands)

Percent with expense

Median

Mean

|
|
|
|

Total expenses (in millions)

Out of Pocket

Private Insurance^b

Medicare

Medicaid

Other public programs^c

Other^d

Total

271,279

62.1

$122

$429

|

$72,255

47.2

36.3

3.6

10.4

1.9

0.6

|

Age in years

|

Under 65

237,093

58.7

90

347

|

48,199

41.3

44.0

1.0

11.7

1.4

0.6

Under 6

23,791

61.3

38

85

|

1,236

41.1

38.4

0.1

19.8

0.3*

0.2*

6-17

48,127

48.2

43

142

|

3,296

37.7

43.2

0.0

18.2

0.4*

18-44

108,879

55.9

85

291

|

17,714

41.8

42.9

0.4*

13.5

0.8

0.6

45-64

56,295

71.8

271

642

|

25,953

41.4

45.1

1.5

9.2

2.1

0.7

65 and over

34,185

86.0

507

819

|

24,056

59.0

20.9

9.0

7.9

2.7

0.5*

|

Sex

|

Male

132,605

55.0

94

400

|

29,117

44.7

38.2

3.9

8.9

3.7

0.6

Female

138,673

68.9

146

451

|

43,138

48.9

35.0

3.4

11.5

0.6

|

Race/ethnicity

|

White and other

206,082

65.5

141

459

|

61,984

47.4

38.3

3.4

8.4

1.8

0.6

Black

34,086

53.0

78

333

|

6,017

46.0

24.3

3.9

22.9

2.1*

0.7*

Hispanic

31,111

49.9

62

274

|

4,255

45.0

23.8

6.4

21.8

2.7*

0.4*

|

Health insurance status^e,f

|
|
|

Under age 65:

|

Any private

173,962

61.6

96

340

|

36,449

39.9

57.7

0.7

1.1

0.4

0.2*

Public only

29,828

62.0

82

467

|

8,628

30.1

2.1

2.6

60.7

3.6

0.9*

Uninsured

33,304

40.2

58

233

|

3,122

88.4

0.0

7.1*

4.5

Age 65 and over:

|
|

Medicare only

8,550

81.7

476

716

|

5,003

78.5

0.0

15.0

0.4*

4.4

1.8*

Medicare and private

21,690

88.1

516

846

|
|

16,164

57.9

30.8

7.4

2.0

1.8

0.1

Medicare and other public

3,486

85.8

599

933

|
|

2,791

30.6

0.0

7.6

55.7

5.0*

1.0*

|

Poverty status^g

|
|

Poor

36,415

58.3

96

461

|

9,790

43.7

12.4

2.8

39.5

1.3

0.3*

Near-poor

12,233

60.4

129

481

|

3,555

50.2

16.7

3.0

24.8

3.6

1.7*

Low income

38,723

57.8

119

429

|

9,611

57.8

20.7

5.6

12.5

2.0

1.4

Middle income

89,981

62.2

115

426

|

23,810

47.9

40.2

4.1

5.4

2.2

0.3*

High income

93,926

65.5

138

414

|

25,489

43.5

50.5

2.8

1.2

1.4*

0.6

|

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)^e

|
|
|

MSA

215,782

61.4

115

412

|

54,551

45.6

38.6

4.0

9.5

1.8

0.6

Non-MSA

52,621

65.1

144

479

|

16,406

52.3

29.7

2.0

13.2

2.1

0.6*

|

Census Region

|
|

Northeast

52,394

59.6

133

446

|

13,935

45.0

34.7

4.8

12.9

1.8

0.8*

Midwest

63,090

64.4

125

464

|

18,842

45.3

40.5

2.0

10.0

1.7*

0.6*

South

94,929

63.6

134

437

|

26,370

51.2

33.5

2.8

10.1

1.8

0.6*

West

60,865

59.6

95

362

|

13,108

44.1

37.7

6.5

9.2

2.2

0.4

|

Perceived health status^e

|
|

Under 65 years

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

217,904

56.5

77

268

|
|

33,036

42.4

48.3

0.3*

7.3

1.0

0.6

Fair or Poor

18,876

84.1

379

950

|

15,092

38.9

34.6

2.3

21.3

2.3*

0.7

65 years and over

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

24,864

83.7

427

701

|
|

14,600

59.6

21.5

9.8

5.7

2.8

0.7*

Fair or Poor

8,890

93.7

781

1,130

|

9,413

58.0

20.1

7.7

11.3

2.7

0.3*

^aExpenses for all prescribed medicines initially purchased or otherwise obtained during 1997, as well as any refills, are included. Free samples are included in the estimate of percent of persons with any expense.

^bPrivate insurance includes CHAMPUS and CHAMPVA (Armed-Forces-related coverage).

^cOther public programs include Department of Veterans Affairs (except CHAMPVA); other Federal sources (Indian Health Service, military treatment facilities, and other care provided by the Federal Government); other State and local sources (community and neighborhood clinics, State and local health departments, and State programs other than Medicaid); and other public (Medicaid payments reported for persons who were not enrolled in the Medicaid program at any time during the year).

^dOther includes Worker's Compensation; other unclassified sources (e.g., automobile, homeowner's, liability, and other miscellaneous or unknown sources); and other private insurance (any type of private insurance payments reported for persons without private health insurance coverage during the year, as defined in MEPS).

^eNumber of persons and amount of expenses do not add to overall total because data on this variable were not available for some sample persons.

^fUninsured refers to persons uninsured during the entire year. Public and private health insurance categories refer to individuals with public or private insurance at any time during the period; individuals with both public and private insurance and those with CHAMPUS or CHAMPVA (Armed-Forces-related coverage) are classified as having insurance.

^gPoor refers to incomes below the Federal poverty line; near poor, over the poverty line through 125 percent of the poverty line; low income, over 125 percent through 200 percent of the poverty line; middle income, over 200 percent to 400 percent of the poverty line; and high income, over 400 percent of the poverty line.

*Relative standard error equal to or greater than 30 percent.

Note: These estimates are for a target population of approximately 271.3 million persons who were in the civilian noninstitutionalized population for all or part of 1997. Percents may not add to 100 because of rounding.

Source: Center for Financing, Access, and Cost Trends, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 1997.

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