Health Care Spending in New York Growing Faster Than Rest of U.S., New Report from The New York State Health Foundation

Health Care Spending in New York Growing Faster Than Rest of U.S., New Report from The New York State Health Foundation

Health care spending for the average New Yorker with employer-sponsored health insurance is increasing faster in New York State than the rest of the country, according to a new analysis released today by the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) and the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI).

Per-person spending grew 6.4% statewide, compared with 4.2% nationally. The majority of spending growth came from price increases, not from patients using more services.

“We have a health care affordability crisis in New York State, and prices are the main culprit,” said David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO of NYSHealth. “It’s a growing problem for working and middle-class New Yorkers with job-based health insurance coverage.”

The report offers the first comprehensive New York State-level analysis of health care spending. It looks at use of services and prices by type of service: inpatient, outpatient, professional services (such as doctor’s visits), and prescription drugs. The only category where New York wasn’t outpacing the country was outpatient services; spending across all other types grew faster in New York relative to the national average.