The 2019 Health Care Cost and Utilization Report presents data on health care spending, utilization, and average prices from 2015 through 2019 for individuals under the age of 65 who receive health insurance coverage through an employer. This report examines trends within four categories of service: inpatient admissions, outpatient visits and procedures, professional services, and prescription drugs. All data were weighted to reflect the age, sex, and geographic mix of the national employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) population
The key findings are:
- In 2019, per person spending reached $6,001. This represented a 2.9% increase from 2018 and was the lowest growth rate over the five-year period. The total includes amount paid for medical and pharmacy claims but does not reflect manufacturer rebates for prescription drugs.
- Average per person out-of-pocket spending totaled $829 in 2019.
- Average prices grew 3.6% in 2019. While that is the lowest rate of growth over the five-year period, consistent annual increases means that prices in 2019 were 18.3% higher than prices in 2015.
- Utilization declined 0.7% between 2018 and 2019, reversing the trend of utilization growth during the five-year period. This shift was largely attributable to a 4.9% decline in inpatient admissions in 2019.
- Prices accounted for the largest part (nearly two-thirds) of per-person spending growth between 2015 and 2019.