Research Findings # 0

Table 8. Other medical equipment and services^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

17.6

160

347

|

16,560

56.6

24.1

8.4

4.8

3.6*

2.5

|

Age in years

|

Under 65

237,093

16.1

150

249

|

9,479

61.2

24.2

1.9*

5.2

4.4*

3.2*

Under 6

23,791

3.2

--

|

--

6-17

48,127

12.0

124

180

|

1,038

66.1

19.0

0.0

11.5

0.9*

2.5*

18-44

108,879

16.4

139

198

|

3,542

69.1

20.8

0.3*

3.2

0.8*

5.8*

45-64

56,295

24.4

200

347

|

4,758

55.1

26.8

3.6*

5.2

7.9*

1.3

65 and over

34,185

28.2

197

735

|

7,081

50.4

24.0*

17.1*

4.2*

2.5*

1.6*

|

Sex

|

Male

132,605

15.1

159

414

|

8,320

55.1

27.4

6.1

3.0

6.6*

1.7*

Female

138,673

19.9

164

298

|

8,240

58.1

20.8

10.8*

6.6

0.5*

3.3*

|

Race/ethnicity

|

White and other

206,082

19.4

163

363

|

14,507

56.8

25.6

8.6*

3.3

3.4*

2.4

Black

34,086

12.2

149

232

|

967

60.6

14.0

3.0*

15.5

1.6*

5.4*

Hispanic

31,111

11.5

153

304

|

1,086

50.9

13.7

10.5*

14.8

8.1*

1.9*

|

Health insurance status^e,f

|
|
|

Under age 65:

|

Any private

173,962

17.9

157

253

|

7,885

62.7

29.0

1.0*

0.8*

4.9*

1.6

Public only

29,828

12.3

122

271

|

997

32.5*

0.2*

10.5*

43.4

1.4*

12.0*

Uninsured

33,304

9.9

124

181

|

596

89.4

0.0

1.9*

8.7

Age 65 and over:

|
|

Medicare only

8,550

28.1

198

632*

|

1,516*

43.4

0.0

42.2*

0.0

11.1*

3.4*

Medicare and private

21,690

28.2

199

832*

|
|

5,087*

54.9

33.4

10.5*

0.3*

0.2*

0.7*

Medicare and other public

3,486

30.8

164

437

|
|

469

24.2

0.0

8.3*

61.0

0.5*

5.9*

|

Poverty status^g

|
|

Poor

36,415

13.6

150

303

|

1,495

45.0

7.5

8.7*

29.4

1.1*

8.3*

Near-poor

12,233

15.0

150

296

|

545

54.0

15.4

15.1*

12.9

2.0*

0.5*

Low income

38,723

14.7

140

317

|

1,810

50.3

24.1*

6.3*

7.6

7.9*

3.8*

Middle income

89,981

17.6

150

433

|

6,846

53.6

29.7

12.2*

2.0*

0.6*

1.8*

High income

93,926

20.7

179

302

|

5,864

65.2

22.6

4.0

0.1

6.4*

1.6*

|

Metropolitan statistical area (MSA)^e

|
|
|

MSA

215,782

17.7

162

315

|

12,059

55.1

23.5

10.3*

4.8

3.5*

2.8

Non-MSA

52,621

17.7

155

466*

|

4,340*

62.2

26.5

3.5*

4.8*

1.1*

1.9*

|

Census Region

|
|

Northeast

52,394

17.4

169

305

|

2,776

58.1

27.8

5.5*

5.1

0.8*

2.7*

Midwest

63,090

19.4

159

241

|

2,952

67.7

19.4

3.9*

5.1

0.7*

3.2

South

94,929

16.7

154

451

|

7,148

55.5

22.1

9.7*

4.1

7.2*

1.3*

West

60,865

17.3

167

350

|

3,685

48.6

29.0

11.9

5.5*

0.9*

4.1*

|

Perceived health status^e

|
|

Under 65 years

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

217,904

15.5

149

212

|
|

7,153

68.6

23.8

0.3*

4.0

0.8*

2.4

Fair or Poor

18,876

23.0

180

535

|

2,323

38.2

25.3

6.9*

8.8*

15.3*

5.4*

65 years and over

|
|

Excellent, very good , or good

24,864

26.7

180

498

|
|

3,304

53.9

8.8

26.1*

4.0*

4.8*

2.4*

Fair or Poor

8,890

33.6

227

1,263*

|

3,777*

47.4

37.4

9.2*

4.5*

0.5*

1.0*

^aExpenses for eyeglasses, ambulance services, orthopedic items, hearing devices, prostheses, bathroom aids, medical equipment, disposable supplies, alterations/modifications, and other miscellaneous items or services that were obtained, purchased, or rented during the year are included. About half the expenditures in this category were for vision items.

^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.

-- Less than 100 sample cases with expenses.

*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.

Connect With Us

Sign up for Email Updates

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality