U.S. Health spending by age, selected years through 2004.
This paper examines variations in health spending by children, working-age adults, and seniors for selected years between 1987 and 2004. Seniors spent far more per person than children or working-age adults, but the relative gap between the age groups has not changed much since 1987 except for those age eighty-five and older. Since the inception of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997, the proportion of children's health spending financed by public sources has increased, while the share paid for out of pocket has decreased. The future age-mix is expected to have a major impact on nursing home spending growth while minimally affecting overall Medicare spending growth.
Hartman
Micah
M
National Health Statistics Group, Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. micah.hartman@cms.hhs.gov
Catlin
Aaron
A
Lassman
David
D
Cylus
Jonathan
J
Heffler
Stephen
S
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000191:economics; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States