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As shown in Figure 3, 15.6 percent of the civilian, non-institutionalized population had no health care spending at all in 2008 and the half of the population with the lowest spending accounted for only 3.1 percent of all expenditures.
In contrast, 63.6 percent of all spending was incurred by the 10 percent of the population with the highest spending. The top 5 percent of the population accounted for almost half (47.5 percent) of all spending, and the top 1 percent of the population
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While the average person incurred about $233 in costs in 2008 for health care services, those in the top half of spending cost insurers, the government, or themselves $7,317. The top 1 percent cost $76,476.
Adults 55 and over made up a larger proportion of the high-spending group, while those in the lower spending group tended to be younger. The report also found that people with at least one chronic health condition were two to four times more likely to have spending in the top 5 percent group.
The likelihood increased as the number of chronic conditions rose. Nearly half of people in the top 5 percent of health care spending had high blood pressure; a third had high cholesterol; and a quarter had diabetes.
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Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
So the point seems to be... sick people cost more in health care expenses?
Here's the thing, Icy. You don't get to pick when you get sick. My mom was 84, swimming 3x a week, drinking sports drinks like they were going out of style, perenially concerned with new health articles, anti-oxidants, the whole 9. Didn't smoke, rarely drank.
But thing is, she was 84. Surprise surprise, she had a major stroke.
Things happen. A cell decides it wants to keep dividing, even though all the nice cells around it don't particularly like that. Too much blood goes through the wrong vessel at the wrong time. Clots build up, break off, and shower your brain.
It's a classic risk pool situation, and combined with our outrageous health costs -- you cannot "save up" to deal with a major health event -- it amounts to a no-brainer: You put everybody in the same pool, 95% foot the bill for the sickest 5%, and Bob's your uncle. Oh and by the way, it's cool. You'll be in the 5% sooner or later, most likely.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
If you realize that a year in a nursing home costs anywhere from a low of $84,000 per year in Indiana to a high of $108,000.00 per year in New Jersey (and that does not include the cost of daily medications, special diets or medical costs like routine blood work, chest x-ray, diabetes testing, adult diapers, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dental care, eye care, hospitalizations or doctor visits) it's not hard to see where end of life care adds up.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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Originally Posted by PatsFanInVa
So the point seems to be... sick people cost more in health care expenses?
Here's the thing, Icy. You don't get to pick when you get sick. My mom was 84, swimming 3x a week, drinking sports drinks like they were going out of style, perenially concerned with new health articles, anti-oxidants, the whole 9. Didn't smoke, rarely drank.
But thing is, she was 84. Surprise surprise, she had a major stroke.
Things happen. A cell decides it wants to keep dividing, even though all the nice cells around it don't particularly like that. Too much blood goes through the wrong vessel at the wrong time. Clots build up, break off, and shower your brain.
It's a classic risk pool situation, and combined with our outrageous health costs -- you cannot "save up" to deal with a major health event -- it amounts to a no-brainer: You put everybody in the same pool, 95% foot the bill for the sickest 5%, and Bob's your uncle. Oh and by the way, it's cool. You'll be in the 5% sooner or later, most likely.
Have a nice day!
I did not say good or bad ... merely bringing the info to the forum.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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Originally Posted by IcyPatriot
I did not say good or bad ... merely bringing the info to the forum.
Someone piss in your Cheerios this morning ...
ROFLMAO Just for the record - I had nothing to do with MrP's breakfast today.
It's an interesting topic, Icy. I've read quite a bit about it and much of the medical costs incurred occurs at the very beginning or the very end of a life.
It is the most vunerable who are the most expensive, I suppose. Those coming in and those going out.
Things like diabetes and heart ailments and blood disorders are expensive, also, I am not denying that - but simply getting old can be hideously expensive medically speaking. Especially if something happens where you are unable to care for yourself or are too ill to have a family member assist you.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
I remember an interview with R Romer ex gov of CO. He said that 50% of a person's health care cost for their lifetime was incurred over the last 6 months of life. My in-laws and parents have had living wills, 2 of them have passed and lived as home with hospice care and the necessary painkillers (cancer). They didn't want to end up being veggies living on life support, Their spouses were happy with their choices, as they were.
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"Some guys play in all-star games, some guys don't. I don't know who picks all those all-star teams. In all honesty, I don't know who picks the combine, for that matter," Belichick said. "How does (Miami-Ohio offensive lineman Brandon) Brooks not get invited to the combine? How did Vollmer not get invited to the combine? I don't know. We can't really worry about that. We just have to try to evaluate them the best we can."
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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Originally Posted by patsfan13
I remember an interview with R Romer ex gov of CO. He said that 50% of a person's health care cost for their lifetime was incurred over the last 6 months of life. My in-laws and parents have had living wills, 2 of them have passed and lived as home with hospice care and the necessary painkillers (cancer). They didn't want to end up being veggies living on life support, Their spouses were happy with their choices, as they were.
A living will is only good if you have a terminal disease.....old age is not considered a disease no matter how terminal it's going to be.
Nursing homes are full of people who have living wills, PF13....but they were unfortunate enough to suffer from diseases such as Altzheimers or they've lost limbs due to diabetes or they've had strokes which incapacitated them but did not kill them...or they are blind or paralyzed or they are in relatively good health but are simply so old and frail that they can no longer live alone and they have no families or their family members are unable to care for them at home for whatever reason.
Most people in nursing homes are not "veggies living on life support." In fact, most nursing homes do not even have the capabilities of caring for people on life support systems.
They are simply sick - with non-fatal diseases. If your parents or in-laws had hospice care then you are aware that hospice only cares for people who've been given less than a year to live and who are diagnosed with an incurable disease.
There are tens of thousands of people in nursing homes who do not fit that criteria.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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Originally Posted by DarrylS
Euthanasia can be cost effective..
I have it all in writing to make it as easy as possible for my family to send me into the unknown. To me it's easy - I'd rather live (X) amount of decent years rather than have it all ruined by (X+Y) amount of years where (Y) equates being a tremendous burden and/or life as a shell. If you live your life right and do good by your friends and family it should be more than enough to say you spent your time on earth well. Why spend tremendous amounts of money keeping my shell alive - pictures and memories can do that far cheaper.
Re: 5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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Originally Posted by IcyPatriot
I have it all in writing to make it as easy as possible for my family to send me into the unknown. To me it's easy - I'd rather live (X) amount of decent years rather than have it all ruined by (X+Y) amount of years where (Y) equates being a tremendous burden and/or life as a shell. If you live your life right and do good by your friends and family it should be more than enough to say you spent your time on earth well. Why spend tremendous amounts of money keeping my shell alive - pictures and memories can do that far cheaper.
I agree...and yet there is a huge percentage of the population who insist that all life is sacred at all costs and who have fought all the way to The Supreme Court to force families and doctors to sustain life by feeding tube in a brain dead individual.
And, once again, let me point out that a living will only works in certain situations. They do not work in cases of old age or non-fatal but debilitating and costly diseases.
I had an aunt who spent 7 years on a nursing home. Her health was perfect, she was able to eat, drink, talk, read the paper, watch television and hold an intelligent conversation. She was, however, unable to move without excruciating pain due to severe bone degeneration which had eaten holes in her spinal column and destroyed the long bones in her legs and the joints in her shoulders.
But her heart was strong, her lungs were good and her general health was excellent. She simply existed in horrible pain when and if she tried to move.
So we administered pain killers - but her living will did her no good. There was nothing unusual being done to preserve her life. No antibiotics to quit, no feeding tube to remove, no respirator to take away.
She was ready to die, she wanted to die but there was nothing going on which would cause her death. She even refused all antibiotics and breathing treatments during a bout of pneumonia - and yet she survived it and lived another 4 years.
Euthenasia is not a valid option - and assisted suicide is not readily available in the great majority of The United States.
Sometimes it just takes a long time to die no matter how well you think you've planned to avoid taking the time.
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5% of the Population Accounts for 48% of Health Care Expenditures.
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