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Aug
24

Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Plays a Significant Role in Vulnerable and Rural Communities

Health care insurance claims data capture what health care services people use and how much they pay. These data are crucial for understanding the state of the U.S. health care system, including aspects that function well, those that need improvement, and how to achieve better health and access to care across populations. In this report, we look at the characteristics of individuals who have emplo...

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Aug
23

HCCUR Data Point: Use and Spending on Clinician Services in Hospital and Non-Hospital Settings

In HCCI's Health Care Cost and Utilization Report (HCCUR), we report per person spending on health care services of $5,607 in 2020. Of this spending, $1,514 (27%) was on services that occurred in a hospital outpatient setting and $1,071 (19%) was on services that occurred in a hospital inpatient setting. These spending amounts do not include spending on professional services that a patient receive...

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Aug
09

Health Affairs: What Is Driving Health Care Spending Upward In States With Cost Growth Targets?

HCCI's 2019 HCCUR was featured in a Health Affairs article on increases in health care spending.  From the article: "Price increases in most years have been highest in the commercial market. While there is some variation across states, a national analysis of commercial claim data by the Health Care Cost Institute found that from 2015 to 2019, approximately two-thirds of the increase in spendi...

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Aug
02

Price Markups for Clinical Labs: Employer‑based Insurance Pays Hospital Outpatient Departments 3X More Than Physician Offices and Independent Labs for Identical Tests

The Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) in collaboration with West Health conducted an analysis of the high prices that employer-based insurance pays hospital outpatient departments for clinical lab tests. We found that insurers are paying 3 times more for identical tests (such as simple blood and urine tests) when billed by hospital outpatient departments compared to physician offices and inde...

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Jul
28

Center for American Progress: Employer- and Worker-Led Efforts To Lower Health Insurance Costs

HCCI's 2019 HCCUR was featured in a Center for American Progress report on employer- and worker-led efforts to lower health insurance costs. From the article: "Rising health care prices—not utilization—is the primary driver of the rising cost of commercial insurance." Employer- and Worker-Led Efforts To Lower Health Insurance Costs - Center for American Progress Individual employers have limited a...

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