Annual Reports
HCCI’s Health Care Cost and Utilization Reports

Yearly reviews of spending, price and utilization trends for commercially-insured Americans. Learn more about our methodology, definitions, and other resources.

May
25

Use of and Spending on Top Prescription Drugs in Employer Sponsored Insurance, 2021

Recent policy and other initiatives aim to reduce spending on prescription drugs. At the federal level, the Inflation Reduction Act targets reductions in drug spending in Medicare through price negotiation, capping out-of-pocket spending by patients, and requiring drug manufacturers to pay rebates when prices rise faster than inflation. At the state level, there are initiatives to increase drug pr...

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May
23

Over 80% of ESI Enrollees Used Evaluation and Management Services in 2021, with Primary Care and Telehealth the Most Commonly Used

Evaluation and Management (E&M) services provide an entry point for many people into the health care system. This category of services includes most office visits to a primary care physician or specialist, including behavioral health services, as well evaluation and management services provided in an emergency room or outpatient setting. These visits typically involve a physician or other heal...

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May
12

The Price of Childbirth Can be Twice as High Even in the Same Hospital

According to HCCI's data, the price of a hospital admission for childbirth among birthing people with employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) varies by a factor of three across hospitals within a local area. Even within the same hospital and within the same type of delivery, some births cost twice as much as others. Different prices for the same service in the same hospital with the same type of...

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Apr
25

Focusing on Seven Services Could Eliminate More Than Two-Thirds of Low-Value Care in HCCI's ESI Data

There is substantial evidence that people in the U.S. receive health care services judged to be of low-value. These services are identified as low value based on recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and professional medical societies that there is little to no clinical value associated with their provision and potential for harm in specific clinical scenarios. Thes...

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Apr
04

Insulin Prices in ESI Nearly Doubled from 2012-2021, with Effects of Emerging Biosimilars Evident in Recent Years

Insulin is a life-saving medication for millions of Americans who live with diabetes. As the price of insulin has risen, people who depend on insulin have had to make difficult decisions about whether to pay for their medication or other necessities. Some have been forced to ration their supply, with devastating results. Recent legislation has limited insulin out-of-pocket...

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