Americans Spending Less on Healthcare - East Idaho News
Health

Americans Spending Less on Healthcare

  Published at

GETTY 31113 MedChart?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1368156831568iStockphoto/Thinkstock(PARSIPPANY, N.J.) — America spends more on healthcare than any other country, reaching $2.6 trillion dollars in 2011, or almost $9,000 per person. Unfortunately, we’re not always better off for it.
 
A report out Thursday from IMS Health Inc., a healthcare information company, found that in 2012 Americans spent less on healthcare. But we may not be saving for the right reasons.
 
Last year, Americans saved by skipping doctor visits and taking fewer prescriptions. Experts say the choice not to seek healthcare is due, in part, to a weak economy.

Americans also saved by buying lower-priced generic drugs; 84 percent of all prescriptions are now for generic drugs.
 
But Thursday’s study found that not everyone is saving. Patients with private insurance are paying more out of pocket in copays and higher deductibles.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION