What is your first thought when you see this headline article in the business section of the New York Times by Catherine Rampell?
Visiting the Doctor Less, but Spending More on Health
According to this NY Times article:
"The average annual number of times Americans visit medical providers has been falling over the last decade, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. But their overall spending on health care is still rising.
Among Americans 18 to 64 years old, the average person visited medical providers 3.9 times in 2010, compared to 4.8 times in 2001."
The chart below, from NY Times, shows Americans, both healthy and in poor health, visiting doctors less frequently in 2010 than in 2001:
Note: Data on medical services utilization are not available in the SIPP for 2006, 2007,
and 2008. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2001 Panel, waves 3, 6, and 9; 2004 Panel, waves 3 and 6; and 2008 Panel, waves 4 and 7.
Chart from “Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010,”
by Brett O’Hara and Kyle Caswell.
The NY Times article continues:
"Visits to the doctor and other medical providers may be falling, but health spending is still substantially higher today than it was a decade ago, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey."
Chart above from NY Times.
Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey.
What do you think, or rather, what is your observation?
Are we healthier these days because the stats show we are visiting the doctor less?
Or are we cutting back on doctor visits because it costs more per doctor visit?
Do you personally have any health concerns?
Visiting the Doctor Less, but Spending More on Health
According to this NY Times article:
"The average annual number of times Americans visit medical providers has been falling over the last decade, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. But their overall spending on health care is still rising.
Among Americans 18 to 64 years old, the average person visited medical providers 3.9 times in 2010, compared to 4.8 times in 2001."
The chart below, from NY Times, shows Americans, both healthy and in poor health, visiting doctors less frequently in 2010 than in 2001:
Note: Data on medical services utilization are not available in the SIPP for 2006, 2007,
and 2008. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Survey of Income and Program Participation,
2001 Panel, waves 3, 6, and 9; 2004 Panel, waves 3 and 6; and 2008 Panel, waves 4 and 7.
Chart from “Health Status, Health Insurance, and Medical Services Utilization: 2010,”
by Brett O’Hara and Kyle Caswell.
The NY Times article continues:
"Visits to the doctor and other medical providers may be falling, but health spending is still substantially higher today than it was a decade ago, according to the Labor Department’s Consumer Expenditure Survey."
Chart above from NY Times.
Source: Consumer Expenditure Survey.
What do you think, or rather, what is your observation?
Are we healthier these days because the stats show we are visiting the doctor less?
Or are we cutting back on doctor visits because it costs more per doctor visit?
Do you personally have any health concerns?
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