Employer-insured patients spend more on healthcare in 2014, driven by brand-name drugs, report says
Per capita prescription spending jumped by $45 in 2014, though the actual use of brand-name prescriptions fell by 16 percent.
Healthcare spending grew by 3.4 percent in 2014, a new report by the Health Care Cost Institute found, even though overall utilization declined.
According to the HCCI, which runs the popular healthcare price tracking website Guroo.com, said much of the increase can be traced to the rise in prices for brand-name drugs.
The institute found per capita prescription spending jumped by $45 in 2014, though the actual use of brand-name prescriptions fell by 16 percent. Much of the rise is tied to pricey Hepatitis drugs such as Olysio, Sovaldi, and Harvoni, which hit the market in 2013.
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The report tracked spending for Americans under 65 who are covered by employer-sponsored private insurance.
According to the report, average medical spending per person was $4,967, up 3.4 percent compared to the previous year. Of that, $810 per person came out-of-pocket, a 2 percent jump.
While pharmaceutical accounted for the biggest rise, prices for medical services rose across the board, the report said, with acute patient admission prices jumping more than 4 percent, or $831 per admission.
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In the other hand, acute admissions actually declined by nearly 3 percent.
The report also supported the trend that more patients are seeking outpatient treatment. Spending on outpatient services rose $16 per capita and professional services rose by $15 per capita.
The institute also found the spending gap between men and women continues to grow, with women spending per capita more than $237 than men in 2014.
Twitter: @HenryPowderly
