USA Today - Just 1% of Americans accounted for 22% of health care costs in 2009, according to a federal report. About one in five health care consumers remained in the top 1% of spenders for at least two consecutive years, the report showed. They tended to be white, non-Hispanic women in poor health; the elderly; and users of publicly funded health care. The report also showed these characteristics of patients in the top 10% of health care spenders in 2008 and 2009:
• Sixty percent were women
• Forty percent were 65 or older.
• Only 3% were ages 18 to 29.
• Eighty percent were white.
• Only 2% were Asian. The study also found that Hispanics, 16% of the population in 2009, spent less on health care. Twenty-five percent of Hispanics were in the bottom half of health care spenders, the report showed, while only 7% of Hispanics were in the top 10% of spenders. Please read more from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-01-11/health-care-costs-11...
• Sixty percent were women
• Forty percent were 65 or older.
• Only 3% were ages 18 to 29.
• Eighty percent were white.
• Only 2% were Asian. The study also found that Hispanics, 16% of the population in 2009, spent less on health care. Twenty-five percent of Hispanics were in the bottom half of health care spenders, the report showed, while only 7% of Hispanics were in the top 10% of spenders. Please read more from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-01-11/health-care-costs-11...
