KFF Releases Report on Out-of-Pocket Medicare Spending, Finds Increasing Cost Burdens

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) recently released a report analyzing Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket health care spending as a share of income, both currently and projections moving into the future. The report presents estimates for out-of-pocket spending burden for Medicare beneficiaries overall, as well as by demographic, socioeconomic, and health status measures. The report found:

• In 2013, Medicare beneficiaries’ average out-of-pocket spending was 41 percent of average per capita Social Security income
• By 2030, Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket spending is projected to rise to 50 percent of average per capita Social Security income
• Spending burdens were found to be higher for women than men, increase for people ages 85 and over, and increase for those in poor health or with modest income

The full KFF report is available here.