Direct Spending on Healthcare
A single person in worse health with a $20,000 income and individual market or exchange coverage spends $2,750 per year (14% of their income) on health. This includes $2,000 (10% of their income) in out-of-pocket health spending, $50 (0% of their income) in health insurance premiums, and approximately $700 (4% of their income) in state and federal taxes that fund health programs.
Additional Contributions by Employers
In this scenario, we estimate that the employer is contributing an additional $300 in Medicare payroll taxes, not shown in the chart above. When combined, this person’s spending on health care and the money spent by their employer on their behalf totals $3,050.
The Peterson Center on Healthcare and KFF are partnering to monitor how well the U.S. healthcare system is performing in terms of quality and cost.
