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. 1990 Winter;12(2):1–26.

National health expenditures, 1989

Helen C Lazenby, Suzanne W Letsch
PMCID: PMC4193104  PMID: 10113559

Abstract

Spending for health care in the United States grew to $604.1 billion in 1989, an increase of 11.1 percent from the 1988 level. Growth in national health expenditures has been edging upward since 1986, when the annual growth in the health care bill was 7.7 percent. Health care spending continues to command a larger and larger proportion of the resources of the Nation: In 1989, 11.6 percent of the Nation's output, as measured by the gross national product, was consumed by health care, up from 11.2 percent in 1988.

Highlights

Growth in health care expenditures in the United States accelerated during the previous 3 years, rising to a level of $604.1 billion in 1989. Other highlights from the 1989 National Health Accounts include:

  • Health expenditures grew 11.1 percent from 1988 to 1989.

  • National health expenditures (NHE) amounted to 11.6 percent of the gross national product (GNP) in 1989, up from 11.2 percent in 1988.

  • Expenditures averaged $2,354 per capita. Of that amount, $2,068 was for personal health care; the remainder was for research, construction, program administration, the net cost of private health insurance, and public health activities.

  • Hospital expenditures, which accounted for 39 percent of all health spending (Figure 1), increased 10.0 percent from 1988 to 1989. This growth was slower than growth in overall spending. However, growth in hospital spending continued to accelerate, as it has since 1986, when growth was 6.8 percent.

  • Together, the Medicare and Medicaid programs financed three-tenths of all personal health care services. By service, these two programs paid for more than one-third of all hospital services, more than one-fourth of all physicians' services, and one-half of all nursing home care.

  • Private health insurance has financed a steadily increasing proportion of personal health care expenditures during the 1980s; in 1989, it paid for almost one-third of all personal health care costs.

  • Declining shares of out-of-pocket expenditures—the source of funding for 23.5 percent of all personal health care—have offset most of the increase in private health insurance shares during this decade.

  • Out-of-pocket payments accounted for 44.4 percent of all nursing home care, although 41 percent of those out-of-pocket costs may be funded by social security payments.

Figure 1. The Nation's health dollar: 1989.

Figure 1

Expenditures for health care for selected years 1960 through 1989, both by type of service and by source of funds, are shown in detailed Tables 10-19 at the end of this article. Data figures from these tables are mentioned throughout the text of this article.

Table 10. National health expenditures aggregate and per capita amounts, percent distribution, and average annual percent growth, by source of funds: Selected calendar years 1960-89.

Item 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Amount in billions
National health expenditures $27.1 $41.6 $74.4 $132.9 $249.1 $420.1 $452.3 $492.5 $544.0 $604.1
 Private 20.5 31.3 46.7 77.8 143.9 245.0 260.9 282.9 315.8 350.9
 Public 6.7 10.3 27.7 55.1 105.2 175.1 191.3 209.6 228.2 253.3
  Federal 2.9 4.8 17.7 36.4 72.0 123.6 132.6 143.5 156.7 174.4
  State and local 3.7 5.5 9.9 18.7 33.2 51.5 58.8 66.2 71.5 78.8
Number in millions
U.S. population1 190.1 204.0 214.8 224.7 235.2 247.0 249.4 251.9 254.3 256.6
Amount in billions
Gross national product $515 $705 $1,015 $1,598 $2,732 $4,015 $4,232 $4,516 $4,874 $5,201
Per capita amount
National health expenditures $143 $204 $346 $592 $1,059 $1,700 $1,813 $1,955 $2,139 $2,354
 Private 108 154 217 346 612 992 1,046 1,123 1,242 1,367
 Public 35 50 129 245 447 709 767 832 898 987
  Federal 15 24 83 162 306 500 532 570 616 680
  State and local 20 27 46 83 141 208 236 263 281 307
Percent distribution
National health expenditures 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
 Private 75.5 75.3 62.8 58.5 57.8 58.3 57.7 57.4 58.0 58.1
 Public 24.5 24.7 37.2 41.5 42.2 41.7 42.3 42.6 42.0 41.9
  Federal 10.7 11.6 23.9 27.4 28.9 29.4 29.3 29.1 28.8 28.9
  State and local 13.8 13.2 13.3 14.1 13.3 12.3 13.0 13.4 13.1 13.0
Percent of gross national product
National health expenditures 5.3 5.9 7.3 8.3 9.1 10.5 10.7 10.9 11.2 11.6
Average annual percent growth from previous year shown
National health expenditures 8.9 12.3 12.3 13.4 11.0 7.7 8.9 10.5 11.1
 Private 8.9 8.3 10.7 13.1 11.2 6.5 8.4 11.6 11.1
 Public 9.1 21.9 14.8 13.8 10.7 9.3 9.6 8.9 11.0
  Federal 10.6 29.8 15.5 14.6 11.4 7.3 8.2 9.2 11.3
  State and local 7.9 12.6 13.5 12.1 9.2 14.2 12.6 8.1 10.2
U.S. population1 1.4 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.9
Gross national product 6.5 7.6 9.5 11.3 8.0 5.4 6.7 7.9 6.7
1

July 1 social security area population estimates.

NOTE: Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 19. Expenditures for health services and supplies under public programs, by type of expenditure and program: Calendar year 1989.

Program area All expenditures Personal health care Administration Public health activities

Total Hospital care Physician services Dental services Other professional services Home health care Drugs and other medical nondurables Vision products and other medical durables Nursing home care Other

Amount in billions
1989
Public and private spending $583.5 $530.7 $232.8 $117.6 $31.4 $27.0 $5.4 $44.6 $13.5 $47.9 $10.5 $35.3 $17.5
 All public programs 240.8 215.4 124.5 39.2 0.7 5.4 4.1 5.3 2.5 25.2 8.4 8.0 17.5
  Federal funds 164.8 158.4 92.9 31.8 0.4 4.1 3.1 2.5 2.2 16.2 5.2 4.3 2.1
  State and local funds 76.1 57.0 31.6 7.4 0.3 1.4 0.9 2.8 0.3 9.0 3.3 3.6 15.4
   Medicare 102.1 99.8 62.1 27.5 2.5 2.1 2.1 3.6 2.3
   Medicaid1 62.5 59.3 22.9 4.2 0.6 1.7 1.9 4.1 20.6 3.2 3.1
    Federal 35.5 33.7 12.9 2.6 0.4 1.0 1.0 2.4 11.7 1.8 1.8
    State and local 26.9 25.6 10.0 1.6 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.7 9.0 1.4 1.3
   Other State and local public assistance programs 4.2 4.2 2.5 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.8 0.1 0.1
   Veterans Administration 10.6 10.5 8.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.9 1.1 0.0
   Department of Defense2 10.4 10.2 8.3 1.2 0.0 0.1 0.6 0.1
   Workers' compensation 14.5 12.2 6.2 5.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 2.2
    Federal 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
    State and local 14.1 11.9 6.0 5.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 2.2
   State and local hospitals3 12.9 12.9 12.9
   Other public programs for personal health care4 6.2 6.0 1.3 0.5 0.0 0.7 0.0 0.1 3.4 0.2
    Federal 3.7 3.6 1.0 0.3 0.0 0.6 0.0 0.1 1.6 0.0
    State and local 2.5 2.4 0.3 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 1.8 0.1
   Government public health activities 17.5 17.5
    Federal 2.1 2.1
    State and local 15.4 15.4
Medicare and Medicaid 164.6 159.2 85.0 31.7 0.6 4.2 4.0 4.1 2.1 24.2 3.2 5.4
1

Excludes funds paid into the Medicare trust funds by States under “buy-in” agreements to cover premiums for public assistance recipients and for people who are medically indigent.

2

Includes care for retirees and military dependents.

3

Expenditures not offset by revenues.

4

Includes program spending for maternal and child health; vocational rehabilitation medical payments; temporary disability insurance medical payments; Public Health Service and other Federal hospitals; Indian health services; alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental health; and school health.

NOTES: 0.0 denotes less than $50 million. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

National health expenditures

National health expenditures reached $604.1 billion in 1989, an increase of 11.1 percent from 1988. This growth was faster than the growth rates seen during the past 6 years. For the fifth consecutive year, growth in health spending outpaced growth in the economy as a whole, as measured by the GNP. As a result, health expenditures as a percent of GNP has continued to rise, reaching 11.6 percent in 1989, up from 11.2 percent in 1988 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Percent growth in national health expenditures and gross national product, and national health expenditures as a percent of gross national product: Calendar years 1961-89.

Figure 2

Of the $2,354 average spent per person for NHE in 1989, 41.9 percent was financed by public programs; 58.1 percent came from private sources, primarily private health insurance and out-of-pocket spending.

National health expenditures are divided into two broad categories: health services and supplies (expenditures related to current health care) and research and construction of medical facilities (expenditures related to future health care). Health services and supplies, in turn, consist of personal health care (the direct provision of care), program administration and the net cost of private health insurance, and government public health activities.

Spending for health services and supplies amounted to $583.5 billion in 1989, 97 percent of national health expenditures. This amount represents an 11.3-percent growth from 1988, slightly larger than the growth in overall NHE spending, which includes the slower growing categories of research and construction.

Personal health care expenditures (PHCE) grew to $530.7 billion in 1989, and amounted to 88 percent of all health spending. The PHCE per capita amount of $2,068 represents spending for health care services received by individuals and health products purchased in retail outlets. The 10.6 percent growth in this category from 1988 to 1989 may be allocated among four factors—economywide price inflation, industry-specific price inflation, population, and all other factors per capita (Office of National Cost Estimates, 1990). Inflation accounted for 65 percent of growth in personal health care expenditures in 1989 (Figure 3). Of that 65 percent, 44 percent can be attributed to economywide price inflation and the remaining 21 percent to industry-specific price inflation. Population changes caused 9 percent of the growth in PHCE, and other factors accounted for the remaining 26 percent. These “other factors” include anything that causes changes in use and intensity per capita. (Because “other factors” is a residual, any error in the measurement of inflation would be incorporated in this component.)

Figure 3. Factors in the increase of personal health care expenditures: 1988-89.

Figure 3

During the first 5 years of the 1980s, price growth accounted for three-fourths of the growth in PHCE. From 1985 forward, price growth assumed a slightly less important role in the overall growth of personal health expenditures, with about two-thirds of growth a result of price increases. The remainder of the increase comes from population growth and changes in the use and intensity of service delivered.

When price growth is removed, real PHCE (measuring the aggregate change in use and intensity of service) rose 3.6 percent from 1988 to 1989, slightly faster than the 3.3 percent average annual growth experienced during the 1980s (Table 1).

Table 1. Personal health care expenditures in current and constant dollars and associated price indexes, by type of service: Calendar years 1980-89.

Type of service 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Current dollars in billions
Personal health care $218.3 $253.2 $284.1 $312.4 $338.6 $367.2 $398.2 $436.7 $480.0 $530.7
 Hospital care 102.4 119.6 135.9 147.2 157.2 167.9 179.4 193.8 211.7 232.8
 Physician services 41.9 48.8 53.8 60.6 67.1 74.0 82.1 93.0 105.1 117.6
 Dental services 14.4 17.0 18.4 19.8 21.4 23.3 24.7 27.1 29.4 31.4
 Other professional services and home health 10.0 11.9 14.0 16.2 18.5 20.5 22.6 25.3 28.3 32.4
 Drugs and other medical nondurables 20.1 22.3 24.5 27.5 29.8 32.3 35.6 38.7 41.5 44.6
 Vision products and other medical durables 5.0 5.3 5.9 6.3 7.2 8.4 9.5 10.7 12.0 13.5
 Nursing home care 20.0 23.3 26.1 28.9 31.2 34.1 36.7 39.8 42.8 47.9
 Other personal health care 4.6 5.1 5.6 6.0 6.3 6.8 7.6 8.3 9.3 10.5
Price indexes
 Hospital care 81.70 91.10 100.00 106.60 112.50 118.00 122.30 128.17 136.76 145.65
 Physician services 82.33 91.41 100.00 107.70 115.19 121.92 130.76 140.43 150.54 161.53
 Dental services 84.70 92.84 100.00 106.73 115.41 122.67 129.51 138.19 147.59 156.74
 Other professional services and home health 83.58 92.17 100.00 107.20 114.81 121.93 129.73 138.30 147.56 157.01
 Drugs and other medical nondurables 81.72 90.67 100.00 108.56 116.53 124.79 133.01 141.86 151.65 163.47
 Vision products and other medical durables 86.67 94.23 100.00 105.44 109.82 116.56 122.25 126.55 133.00 137.53
 Nursing home care 83.91 92.41 100.00 105.86 111.20 115.57 119.18 123.55 130.57 139.32
 Other personal health care 80.89 89.60 100.00 108.70 115.45 122.63 131.88 140.61 149.75 161.14
Constant 1982 dollars in billions
Personal health care $265.0 $276.9 $284.1 $292.1 $298.2 $306.8 $317.0 $329.2 $339.0 $351.3
 Hospital care 125.3 131.2 135.9 138.1 139.7 142.3 146.7 151.2 154.8 159.8
 Physician services 50.9 53.3 53.8 56.3 58.3 60.7 62.7 66.2 69.8 72.8
 Dental services 17.0 18.3 18.4 18.5 18.5 19.0 19.1 19.6 19.9 20.0
 Other professional services and home health 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.1 16.1 16.8 17.4 18.3 19.2 20.6
 Drugs and other medical nondurables 24.6 24.6 24.5 25.3 25.6 25.8 26.7 27.3 27.4 27.3
 Vision products and other medical durables 5.7 5.6 5.9 6.0 6.5 7.2 7.8 8.4 9.0 9.8
 Nursing home care 23.8 25.2 26.1 27.3 28.0 29.5 30.8 32.2 32.8 34.4
 Other personal health care 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.5 5.4 5.6 5.7 5.9 6.2 6.5
Price indexes for personal health care expenditures
Fixed-weight price index 82.4 91.4 100.0 107.0 113.5 119.7 125.6 132.6 141.5 151.0
Growth in constant dollars
Personal health care expenditures 4.5 2.6 2.8 2.1 2.9 3.3 3.8 3.0 3.6

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

In 1989, consumers financed 23.5 percent of PHCE through out-of-pocket payments of $124.8 billion. The remaining 76.5 percent of PHCE was paid by third parties. Public programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, make government the largest third-party payer of health care benefits. The public share of personal health care was 40.6 percent in 1989, with Medicare and Medicaid accounting for nearly three-quarters of that amount.

Private third-party payers financed more than one-third of all PHCE. Private health insurance benefits rose to $172.9 billion and continued to account for an increasing share (32.6 percent) of PHCE. In addition, another 3.3 percent of personal health care was spent by other private third-party payers, including business (through inplant health care services), philanthropic giving, and other nonpatient revenue sources of hospitals, nursing homes, and home health agencies.

Elements of personal health care

Expenditures for hospital care services in 1989 reached $232.8 billion, accounting for 43.9 percent of all PHCE. This represents an increase of 10.0 percent from 1988 to 1989, continuing the trend of accelerated growth that began in 1986. These expenditures include those for services delivered to inpatients and outpatients, for physician services billed through the hospitals (mainly anesthesiologists, radiologists, and pathologists, but also the services of medical residents), for drugs dispensed during hospitalization, and for services rendered by hospital-based home health agencies. Nursing home type care provided in a hospital facility is also counted here.

Hospital care expenditures are measured by total net revenue. Short term, acute care community hospitals accounted for 86 percent of all hospital revenue in 1989, mostly through inpatient services. However, revenues from care delivered through emergency rooms and outpatient clinics have been growing more rapidly than inpatient care revenues since 1967, and now account for 19 percent of all revenues (Table 2). Noncommunity non-Federal hospitals accounted for 7 percent of all hospital revenues in 1989, and Federal hospitals received the remaining 7 percent of hospital revenues.

Table 2. Hospital revenues, percent distribution, and annual percent growth: Calendar years 1980-89.

Type of hospital 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Amount in millions
Total $102,399 $119,563 $135,866 $147,183 $157,214 $167,938 $179,425 $193,807 $211,678 $232,752
 Non-Federal 93,707 109,967 125,383 136,102 145,212 154,956 165,788 179,451 196,856 216,830
  Community 85,601 100,929 115,532 125,903 134,362 143,311 153,214 165,796 182,329 200,927
   Inpatient 74,404 87,477 99,916 108,247 114,082 119,119 125,153 133,424 144,084 156,468
   Outpatient 11,197 13,452 15,616 17,656 20,280 24,192 28,061 32,372 38,245 44,459
  Noncommunity 8,106 9,038 9,851 10,199 10,850 11,645 12,574 13,655 14,527 15,903
 Federal 8,692 9,596 10,483 11,081 12,002 12,982 13,637 14,356 14,822 15,923
Percent distribution
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
 Non-Federal 92 92 92 92 92 92 92 93 93 93
  Community 84 84 85 86 85 85 85 86 86 86
   Inpatient 73 73 74 74 73 71 70 69 68 67
   Outpatient 11 11 11 12 13 14 16 17 18 19
  Noncommunity 8 8 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 7
 Federal 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7 7 7
Annual percent growth
Total 16.8 13.6 8.3 6.8 6.8 6.8 8.0 9.2 10.0
 Non-Federal 17.4 14.0 8.5 6.7 6.7 7.0 8.2 9.7 10.1
  Community 17.9 14.5 9.0 6.7 6.7 6.9 8.2 10.0 10.2
   Inpatient 17.6 14.2 8.3 5.4 4.4 5.1 6.6 8.0 8.6
   Outpatient 20.1 16.1 13.1 14.9 19.3 16.0 15.4 18.1 16.2
  Noncommunity 11.5 9.0 3.5 6.4 7.3 8.0 8.6 6.4 9.5
 Federal 10.4 9.2 5.7 8.3 8.2 5.0 5.3 3.2 7.4

NOTE: Noncommunity non-Federal hospitals include long-term care hospitals (where the average length of stay is 30 days or longer), psychiatric hospitals, alcoholism and chemical dependency hospitals, units of institutions such as prison hospitals or college infirmaries, chronic disease hospitals, and some institutions for the mentally retarded.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Public funds financed 53.5 percent of all hospital services in 1989. Medicare alone paid for 26.7 percent, although its share has fallen from 29.0 percent in 1985, coinciding with the full implementation of the prospective payment system (PPS). Private health insurance paid for 36.2 percent of all hospital services in 1989, up from a 35.4-percent share in 1985. State and local tax subsidies have also financed an increased share during the same time period: 5.5 percent in 1989, up from 4.2 percent in 1985.

Expenditures for physician services reached $117.6 billion in 1989, an increase of 11.9 percent from 1988. In all but one year of the 1980s, physician services expenditures grew faster than overall expenditures. In 1989, spending for physician services accounted for 22.2 percent of PHCE.

Private health insurance has funded an increasing share of physician services expenditures, paying for nearly one-half of all spending for physicians in 1989. Medicare financed almost one-fourth of all physician expenditures and is the second largest payer of physician expenditures. Offsetting the increased shares paid by private health insurance and Medicare, consumers are now paying a lower share out of pocket for physician services.

In 1989, expenditures for dental services grew to $31.4 billion, an increase of 6.7 percent from 1988. Spending for dental services exhibited the slowest growth among all of the personal health care categories. There have been shifts in the skill-mix of workers in dental offices toward a greater proportion of lower-skilled employees. Changes in the incidence of dental disease, including a reduction in caries, permit lower-skilled employees, such as hygienists, to deliver a greater proportion of services.

Most of the financing for dental care comes from private sources; public spending, primarily Medicaid, accounted for 2.4 percent of total dental expenditures in 1989. Private health insurance paid for 42.7 percent, and the remaining 54.9 percent came from out-of-pocket payments.

The category of other professional services includes spending for services of licensed health practitioners other than physicians and dentists and expenditures for services rendered in outpatient clinics. A total of $27.0 billion was spent in 1989 for all of these services, an increase of 13.7 percent from 1988. Private funds financed 79.8 percent of these expenditures, with 37.7 percent paid by private insurance, 31.5 percent paid directly by the consumer, and 10.6 percent from nonpatient revenues (primarily philanthropic funds). Public sources paid 20.2 percent of expenditures for other professional services.

In the National Health Account (NHA) category of home heath care, expenditures for services and supplies furnished by non-facility-based home health agencies (HHAs) was $5.4 billion in 1989. An additional $1.3 billion, not included in the NHA home health category, was spent for home health care furnished by facility-based (primarily hospital-based) HHAs (those expenditures are included with hospital care in this article). Including the hospital share, $6.6 billion was spent for home health services in 1989.

Growth in spending for home health care increased 19.1 percent in 1989, doubling the growth experienced in 1988. This accelerated growth is primarily attributable to increased funding by the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Medicare clarified its home health coverage criteria in 1988 and fewer home health claims are being denied.

Public sources financed three-fourths of the home health services category in NHA. More than one-half of the public spending was paid by Medicare and most of the residual by Medicaid.

Out-of-pocket payments accounted for 11.4 percent of total spending, and the residual private share, 13.0 percent, was split between private health insurance and nonpatient revenue (income from sources other than those received for patient care, such as philanthropy, interest, and dividend income).

The home health segment of the NHA measures a portion of the Nation's annual expenditures for medical care services delivered in the home. These estimates are constructed from information reported to the Health Care Financing Administration by home health agencies participating in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. A broader home health industry definition of home health care would include services delivered by non-Medicare providers, facility-based agencies, and services currently beyond the scope of the NHA.

Drugs and other medical nondurables expenditures totaled $44.6 billion in 1989. These expenditures amount to 8.4 percent of PHCE and increased 7.5 percent from 1988 to 1989. This class of expenditure is limited to spending for products purchased from retail outlets. Purchases included are prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, and other nondurable medical sundries.

Expenditures for prescription drugs account for nearly two-thirds of drugs and other medical nondurables, reaching $29.0 billion in 1989. This share has increased during the 1980s, as expenditures for prescription drugs have grown more rapidly than have expenditures for nonprescription drugs and other medical nondurables. Almost all of the growth in both prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines is attributable to price inflation.

Third parties typically pay for prescription drugs, but not for over-the-counter medicines. Assuming that all public and private insurance payments are for prescription drugs, third parties funded 42.3 percent of prescription drugs. In 1989, consumers paid the remainder—$16.7 billion—from out-of-pocket sources.

A total of $13.5 billion was spent in 1989 for vision products and other medical durables. These expenditures grew 12.9 percent from 1988 to 1989. This category is largely funded through out-of-pocket spending (72.7 percent), because most third parties do not cover these items. In 1988, 23 percent of full-time workers in medium- and large-size firms, who participated in employer-sponsored health insurance, had insurance coverage for eyeglasses and contact lenses (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1989).

The third largest component of personal health expenditures is nursing home care. Expenditures in 1989 for this service amounted to $47.9 billion, an increase of 12.0 percent from 1988 to 1989. This category of service will be discussed in detail later.

Other personal health care provides a catch-all for funds that are known to be spent for health care but for which the object is unknown or not classifiable elsewhere. In 1989, other personal health care totaled $10.5 billion. School health programs are an example of this type of spending. The majority of this category is financed by public funds. Industrial inplant health services, providing health services directly to workers at employment sites or other locations, is the privately funded category in other personal health.

Program administration and the net cost of private health insurance amounted to $35.3 billion in 1989. The net cost of private health insurance, which is the difference between premiums earned and benefits paid, accounted for three-fourths of this category. This amount grew rapidly from 1987 to 1989 while private insurers were trying to recoup losses experienced in the prior 2 years.

Government public health activities grew to $17.5 billion in 1989, an increase of 8.1 percent from 1988. Public health activities are those functions carried out by Federal, State, and local governments, as opposed to care delivered to individuals. State and local health agencies spent $15.4 billion delivering community health services, primarily through State and local health departments. Federal Government spent $2.1 billion on its public health activities.

Expenditures for research were $11.0 billion in 1989 and include all spending for biomedical research and research in the delivery of health care by both private and public agencies. Research expenditures of drug and medical companies are not included in this category, but are included implicitly in the expenditure class in which the product falls. Spending for construction of medical facilities was $9.6 billion in 1989, an increase of 1.5 percent.

Nursing home care

The Nation spent $47.9 billion for nursing home care in 1989, an increase of 12.0 percent over 1988 spending. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1972-89) show that growth in aggregate hours worked by nonsupervisory personnel in nursing and related care facilities accelerated from 1.9 percent in 1988 to 5.0 percent in 1989, paralleling the strong growth in nursing home expenditures.

Nursing home expenditures are estimated in three parts: revenues of skilled and intermediate care facilities, Medicaid funding of intermediate care facilities for the mentally retarded (ICFs/MR), and Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA) funding for nursing care in DVA nursing homes.

Growth in spending for nursing home care other than in ICFs/MR (90 percent of total estimated spending for nursing home care) accelerated from 7.7 percent in 1988 to 11.8 percent in 1989. Part of this acceleration is the result of the growth of input prices paid by nursing homes. The Health Care Financing Administration's national nursing home input price index grew at a rate of 6.7 percent in 1989, up from 5.7 percent in 1988.

From 1988 to 1989, 36 percent of the increase in expenditures for nursing home care other than for ICFs/MR was attributable to general price inflation and 22 percent to inflation specific to the nursing home industry. A 1.8-percent increase in the aged population in 1989 accounted for 16 percent of the growth in nursing home spending. The remaining 26 percent comes from changes in the amounts and mix of nursing home goods and services.

ICF/MR care is a Medicaid benefit first offered in 1973. In 1989, $4.2 billion in ICF/MR expenditures (60 percent of all ICF/MR) was spent in nursing homes; the remaining 40 percent of ICF/MR expenditures was spent in facilities classified as hospitals in the NHA. The average annual rate of growth in ICF/MR spending for nursing home care was 10.7 percent over the 7-year period 1982-89, compared with 44.5 percent annual growth from 1973 to 1981. The annual growth for 1982-89 was only slightly higher than the 9.0-percent rate of growth in total nursing home spending.

In 1985, 1.4 million people resided in non-Federal nursing homes on any given day (Table 3). Almost 90 percent (88.4) of these nursing home residents were 65 years of age or over, almost 4.4 percent of the total aged population. According to data from the 1985 National Nursing Home Survey, 1 percent of people age 65-74 were nursing home residents in 1985, compared with 22 percent of people age 85 or over (Hing, Sekscenski, and Strahan, 1989). With people living longer and the risk of institutionalization increasing with advancing age, concerns about the availability of resources to finance nursing home care intensifies.

Table 3. Population receiving care in a nursing home: Selected calendar years, 1960-85.

Year Total population in millions1 Population age 65 or over in millions1 Nursing home average daily census2 in millions Nursing home residents age 65 or over

Number in millions Percent of aged population Percent of nursing home residents
1960 190.1 17.1 0.4 0.3 1.9 375.3
1970 214.8 20.9 0.9 0.8 3.8 385.8
1980 235.2 26.1 1.4 1.2 4.5 386.4
1985 247.0 29.0 1.4 1.3 4.4 488.4
1

Social security area population.

2

Non-Federal nursing care facilities excluding ICFs/MR.

Average daily census equals occupancy rate times number of beds times number of days in year.

3

Developed from counts of institutionalized persons in homes for the aged and dependent. Data from U.S. Bureau of the Census: 1960 census of population: Inmates of institutions. Subject Reports. Vol. II, PC(2)-8A; 1970 census of population: Persons in institutions and other group quarters. Subject Reports. 1980 census of population: Persons in institutions and other group quarters. Subject Reports. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, June 1963, July 1973, Oct. 1984.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data prepared by the Office of National Cost Estimates.

In 1989, the share of nursing home care financed by public programs increased to 52.6 percent, causing the private share to drop below 50 percent for the first time since 1983. This increase in public spending was the result of provisions of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 (Public Law 100-360) that became effective in 1989. Although Medicaid still accounts for more than 80 percent of public spending for nursing home care, Medicare's share grew sharply from about 3 percent of public spending in 1987 to more than 14 percent in 1989. The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act, which expanded Medicare's coverage of skilled nursing facility care, was repealed in December 1989. As a result, by 1991, Medicare's share of public spending is expected to return to levels consistent with those calculated for 1988.

Medicaid financed 43.1 percent of all nursing home expenditures in 1989. Data presented in the 1985 National Nursing Home Survey show that 41 percent of all nursing home residents in 1985 were admitted as Medicaid patients and another 10 percent qualified for Medicaid by the time the survey was taken. Aged and disabled patients with assets greater than the Medicaid-specified levels may become eligible for Medicaid after incurring medical care expenses which reduce their assets to below the Medicaid-specified levels. Therefore, the longer the length of nursing home stay, the more likely that Medicaid will become the primary payer.

Most of nursing home care financed from private sources is paid directly by patients or their families. These out-of-pocket expenditures totaled $21.3 billion in 1989.

Some nursing home patients are, or become, unable to pay the out-of-pocket costs for their care and seek assistance from the Medicaid program. There is a tendency to believe that when the Medicaid program assumes responsibility for a nursing home patient's care, the entire cost is borne by the public sector. This perception is not accurate. Patients qualifying for Medicaid must use their social security benefits to help defray the cost of care after allowing for the needs of a spouse at home. Monthly social security benefit payments are received by nursing homes either directly or from patients' families. After crediting a portion of the benefit to the patient's personal account for miscellaneous personal spending (newspapers, toothpaste, etc.), the remainder is applied to the patient's nursing home expense.

An estimated 41 percent or $8.7 billion of out-of-pocket spending for nursing home care was received as income by patients or their representatives from monthly social security benefits (Table 4).

Table 4. Expenditures for nursing home care and percent distribution, by source of funds: Selected calendar years, 1960-89.

Year Total Source of funds

Third parties Out of pocket

Total Estimated social security income
Amount in millions
1960 $980 $196 $784 $280
1965 1,699 602 1,097 432
1970 4,867 2,523 2,344 996
1975 9,943 5,757 4,186 2,341
1980 19,989 11,339 8,650 4,565
1985 34,114 17,542 16,572 7,021
1986 36,716 18,699 18,017 7,274
1987 39,788 20,676 19,112 7,755
1988 42,789 22,238 20,551 8,078
1989 47,915 26,660 21,255 8,726
Percent distribution
1960 100.0 20.0 80.0 28.6
1965 100.0 35.4 64.5 25.4
1970 100.0 51.8 48.2 20.5
1975 100.0 57.9 42.1 23.5
1980 100.0 56.7 43.3 22.8
1985 100.0 51.4 48.6 20.6
1986 100.0 50.9 49.1 19.8
1987 100.0 52.0 48.0 19.5
1988 100.0 52.0 48.0 18.9
1989 100.0 55.6 44.4 18.2

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Currently, most aged people have income from social security benefits. The share of aged households with social security income grew from 69 percent in 1962 to 91 percent in 1984 (Table 5). Social security accounted for 38 percent of the aggregate income of aged people in 1984, an increase of 7 percentage points from 1962. During the same period, pensions and assets became more important shares of income to the elderly, increasing 16 percentage points while the earnings share declined 12 percentage points.

Table 5. Percentage of aged households1 by source of income, and shares of aggregate income from these sources: 1962 and 1984.

Income source 1962 1984
Percentage of households1 with income from:
 Social security 69 91
 Private pensions 9 24
 Government employee pensions 5 14
 Assets 54 68
 Earnings 36 21
Percentage of aggregate household income provided by:
 Social security 31 38
 Private pensions 3 6
 Government employee pensions 6 7
 Assets 16 28
 Earnings 28 16
 All other sources of income 16 5
1

An aged household is either a married couple living together with one or both members age 65 or over, or an individual age 65 or over who does not live with a spouse.

SOURCE: Yeas, M. A., and Grad, F.: Social Security Bulletin. Vol. 50, No. 7. Pub. No. 13-11700. Office of Research and Statistics, Social Security Administration. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, July 1987.

Policymakers concerned with financing expanded long-term care coverage need to determine the potential liability that public payers could face. If social security payments already being paid for nursing home care were combined with third-party payments, the magnitude of the potential burden faced by public payers can be quantified. Third-party payments, including estimated social security benefit payments, are currently financing almost three-fourths (73.9 percent) of all nursing home care (Table 6). Out-of-pocket payments, adjusted to exclude estimated payments from social security, would account for 26.1 percent of the cost of nursing home care.

Table 6. Expenditures for nursing home care by source of payment, adjusted to include social security benefits with other third-party payments: Selected calendar years, 1960-89.

Year Total in millions Adjusted third-party payments1 Adjusted out-of-pocket payments2


Total in millions Percent of nursing home expenditures Total in millions Percent of nursing home expenditures
1960 $980 $476 48.6 $504 51.4
1965 1,699 1,034 60.8 665 39.2
1970 4,867 3,519 72.3 1,348 27.7
1975 9,943 8,098 81.4 1,845 18.6
1980 19,989 15,904 79.6 4,085 20.4
1985 34,114 24,563 72.0 9,551 28.0
1986 36,716 25,973 70.7 10,743 29.3
1987 39,788 28,431 71.5 11,357 28.5
1988 42,789 30,316 70.8 12,473 29.2
1989 47,915 35,386 73.9 12,529 26.1
1

Includes estimated social security income.

2

Excludes estimated social security income.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Estimates of social security income potentially available to pay for nursing home care were obtained by subtracting an estimated monthly personal allowance from the average monthly social security benefit for retired workers in current payment status at the end of the year. Annual social security income times an estimated average daily nursing home census of people age 62 or over yielded the estimated amounts.

Average monthly social security benefit amounts for retired workers and widows are presented in Table 7 by age and sex for selected periods to demonstrate the range of benefits considered in these estimates. The average monthly benefit for retired workers was $537 in 1988.

Table 7. Average monthly social security benefit1 for retired workers and widows, by age and sex: Selected yearends, 1960-88.

Yearend Retired worker

Average Males Females Widows
1960
All ages $74.04 $81.87 $59.67 57.69
 62-64 years 54.23 54.23 63.85
 65-74 years 78.19 86.73 62.15 59.43
 75-84 years 68.29 73.02 55.66 52.82
 85 years or over 60.63 62.93 52.34 49.23
1970
All ages $118.10 $130.53 $101.22 $102.04
 62-64 years 96.99 110.26 85.20 104.43
 65-74 years 122.88 135.01 105.97 107.56
 75-84 years 118.51 130.90 100.73 98.60
 85 years or over 100.25 108.86 86.32 86.45
1980
All ages $341.40 $380.20 $296.80 $312.46
 62-64 years 302.20 364.10 241.90 295.30
 65-74 years 355.55 395.27 305.95 316.92
 75-84 years 338.30 364.65 309.55 320.22
 85 years or over 297.31 329.11 268.36 293.70
1988
All ages $537.00 $604.90 $462.30 $495.00
 62-64 years 456.30 552.20 349.10 470.36
 65-74 years 545.40 617.44 456.71 505.71
 75-84 years 561.48 614.13 508.98 500.41
 85 years or over 498.40 542.74 466.74 474.28
1

Benefits in current-pay status.

SOURCES: Social Security Administration: Social Security Bulletin: Annual Statistical Supplement, 1960, 1970, 1982, 1989. Pub. No. 13-11700. Office of Research and Statistics. Social Security Administration. Washington. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960, 1970, 1982, 1989.

In almost all years presented, females age 62-64 years received the lowest monthly benefit and males age 65-74 received the highest benefit amount. The average monthly benefit for females (retired females and widows) age 85 years or over, the age and sex cohort most likely to use nursing home care, was about $470 in 1988; average monthly benefit ranged from $466.74 for retired female workers to $474.28 for widows. Females age 85 or over accounted for 28 percent of nursing home residents and days of care in 1976 and almost 33 percent of all residents in 1985 (Van Nostrand et al., 1979).

Sources of funding

In the past decade, the proportion of NHE funded by public and private sources has remained stable. Since 1979, government has funded two-fifths of all health spending, with private sources funding the remainder. Within the private share, however, a shift between out-of-pocket and private health insurance shares has occurred.

Private funds include private health insurance, out-of-pocket payments, and other private funds (e.g., philanthrophy, interest and dividend income, income from rental of office space, etc.). These other private funds include nonpatient revenues, industrial inplant spending, and privately financed construction. In 1989, other private funds amounted to $26.3 billion and accounted for 4.4 percent of all spending.

In 1989, private health insurance paid for 33.1 percent of all health spending, up from 29.2 percent in 1979. Offsetting this increase was a decline in the out-of-pocket financing of health care. Private health insurance financed $199.7 billion in 1989, while out-of-pocket spending amounted to $124.8 billion.

Although government funds have maintained a constant share of total health spending, health spending has accounted for an increasing share of government expenditures. In 1989, Federal funding for health accounted for 14.7 percent of Federal Government spending, up from 14.1 percent in 1988. State and local government expenditures for health care amounted to 11.2 percent of their total spending in 1989, up from 11.0 percent in the previous year.

Medicare and Medicaid

Medicare and Medicaid are the two largest government programs financing health care. Between them, they financed three-tenths of all PHCE in 1989 and accounted for almost three-fourths of all public PHCE.

Medicare

Medicare, a Federal insurance program created by title XVIII of the Social Security Act of 1965, was originally designed to protect people 65 years of age or over from the high cost of health care. In 1972, the program was expanded to cover permanently disabled workers and their dependents eligible for old age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits, as well as people with end stage renal disease.

Medicare has two parts, each with its own trust fund. The hospital insurance (HI) program pays for inpatient hospital services, post-hospital skilled nursing services, home health services, and hospice care. The supplementary medical insurance (SMI) program covers physician services, outpatient hospital services and therapy, and a few other services.

Unlike other Federal health programs, Medicare is not financed solely by general revenue (appropriations from general tax receipts). In 1989, 89.6 percent of the income for the HI program came from a 1.45-percent payroll tax levied on employers and on employees for the first $48,000 of wages (Table 8). (Self-employed people were required to contribute 2.9 percent, the equivalent of both the employer's and the employee's share of the HI tax.)

Table 8. Payments into Medicare trust funds and percent distribution, by type of fund and source of income: Selected calendar years, 1967-89.
Year and source of income Total Hospital insurance trust fund Supplementary medical insurance trust fund



Amount in billions Percent distribution Amount in billions Percent distribution Amount in billions Percent distribution
1967 Total $5.2 100.0 $3.6 100.0 $1.6 100.0
 Payroll taxes 3.2 62.0 3.2 89.8
 General revenues 1.2 24.1 0.3 8.8 0.9 58.4
 Premiums 0.6 12.4 0.6 40.1
 Interest 0.1 1.5 0.1 1.4 0.0 1.5
1972 Total $9.2 100.0 $6.4 100.0 $2.8 100.0
 Payroll taxes 5.8 62.9 5.8 90.5
 General revenues 1.8 19.7 0.4 6.7 1.4 49.5
 Premiums 1.4 15.0 1.4 49.2
 Interest 0.2 2.4 0.2 2.8 0.0 1.3
1980 Total $37.0 100.0 $26.1 100.0 $10.9 100.0
 Payroll taxes 24.1 65.2 24.1 92.3
 General revenues 8.3 22.4 0.8 3.2 7.5 68.6
 Premiums 3.0 8.2 0.0 0.1 3.0 27.7
 Interest 1.6 4.2 1.1 4.4 0.4 3.8
1988 Total $105.1 100.0 $69.2 100.0 $35.8 100.0
 Payroll taxes 62.8 59.8 62.8 90.7
 General revenues 26.8 25.5 0.6 0.8 26.2 73.1
 Premiums 8.8 8.4 0.0 0.1 8.8 24.5
 Interest 6.7 6.4 5.8 8.4 0.9 2.4
1989 Total $121.1 100.0 $76.7 100.0 1$44.3 100.0
 Payroll taxes 68.7 56.8 68.7 89.6
 General revenues 31.5 26.0 0.6 0.8 30.9 69.6
 Premiums 12.3 10.2 0.1 0.1 112.3 127.7
 Interest 8.5 7.1 7.3 9.5 1.2 2.7
1

Includes premiums paid into the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Account. The Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Account, created by the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988, was closed when the Act was repealed in December 1989. Monies accumulated in this account were transferred to the supplementary medical insurance trust fund.

NOTES: 0.0 denotes less than $50 million. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

In 1989, the SMI program was financed by monthly premium payments of $27.90 per enrollee and by general revenue. The general revenue share of SMI receipts (Table 8) grew from 49.5 percent in 1972 to 73.1 percent in 1988. In 1989, the general revenue share declined to 69.6 percent because of increased premium income designed to finance benefits enacted by the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988. The Act and its catastrophic coverage monthly premium were repealed in December 1989—before expanded SMI and prescription drug benefits were implemented. A portion of these increased premiums were refunded to beneficiaries in 1990.

In 1989, 33.6 million aged and disabled people were enrolled in Medicare. The program spent $99.8 billion in personal health care (benefit) payments for expenses incurred in 1989 by the 25.7 million users who received benefits (Table 9). Growth in Medicare spending for personal health care accelerated to 12.8 percent in 1989 from the 9.0 percent growth experienced in 1988.

Table 9. Personal health care expenditures under Medicare and Medicaid and sources of Medicare financing: Calendar years 1966-89.
Year Personal health care expenditures Population Medicare financing

Inpatient hospital deductible6 SMI monthly premium7 Annual maximum taxable earnings Contribution rate8,9


Medicare and Medicaid1 Medicare Medicaid Medicare2 Medicaid recipients5

Enrollees3 Users4

Amount in billions Number in millions Amount in dollars Percent
1966 $2.9 $1.6 $1.3 19.1 3.7 $40 $3.00 $6,600 0.35
1967 7.9 4.9 3.0 19.5 7.2 40 3.00 6,600 0.50
1968 9.3 5.9 3.4 19.8 7.9 40 4.00 7,800 0.60
1969 10.8 6.8 4.0 20.1 8.6 44 4.00 7,800 0.60
1970 12.3 7.2 5.1 20.5 52 5.30 7,800 0.60
1971 14.5 8.1 6.4 20.9 9.4 60 5.60 7,800 0.60
1972 16.8 8.8 8.0 21.3 10.0 17.6 68 5.80 9,000 0.60
1973 19.2 10.2 9.1 23.5 10.2 19.6 72 106.30 10,800 1.00
1974 23.4 12.8 10.6 24.2 11.8 21.5 84 6.70 13,200 0.90
1975 28.6 15.7 12.9 25.0 13.0 22.0 92 6.70 14,100 0.90
1976 33.4 18.9 14.5 25.7 14.1 22.8 104 7.20 15,300 0.90
1977 38.6 22.1 16.6 26.5 14.9 22.8 124 7.70 16,500 0.90
1978 44.3 25.8 18.5 27.2 15.9 22.0 144 8.20 17,700 1.00
1979 51.3 30.1 21.2 27.9 16.9 21.5 160 8.70 22,900 1.05
1980 61.2 36.4 24.8 28.5 18.0 21.6 180 9.60 25,900 1.05
1981 72.7 43.8 28.9 29.0 18.9 22.0 204 11.00 29,700 1.30
1982 81.9 51.4 30.6 29.5 18.8 21.6 260 12.20 32,400 1.30
1983 92.0 58.5 33.6 30.0 19.7 21.6 304 12.20 35,700 1.30
1984 100.4 64.4 36.0 30.5 20.7 21.6 356 14.60 37,800 1.30
1985 109.9 70.3 39.7 31.1 22.3 21.8 400 15.50 39,600 1.35
1986 118.0 75.1 42.9 31.7 23.1 22.5 492 15.50 42,000 1.45
1987 129.4 81.2 48.2 32.4 24.3 23.1 520 17.90 43,800 1.45
1988 140.5 88.5 52.1 33.0 25.1 22.9 540 24.80 45,000 1.45
1989 159.2 99.8 59.3 33.6 1125.7 24.1 560 27.90 48,000 1.45
1

Excludes “buy-in” premiums paid by Medicaid for SMI coverage of aged and disabled Medicaid recipients eligible for coverage.

2

Hospital insurance and/or supplementary medical insurance.

3

Enrollees as of July 1 of specified year.

4

Enrollees with some reimbursement under Medicare during calendar year. Data through 1973 reflect aged users only. Data for 1974 and later includes aged and disabled users.

5

Unduplicated count of Medicaid recipients during fiscal year.

6

As of January of specified year with the exception of 1966, for which July data are used.

7

As of July for 1966-83 and as of January for 1984-89.

8

Employer and employee (each) and self-employed people through 1983.

9

Effective in 1984, self-employed people pay double this rate, the equivalent of both the employer and the employee share.

10

Monthly premium for July and August 1973 was reduced to $5.80 and $6.10, respectively, by the Cost of Living Council.

11

Estimated.

NOTES: SMI is supplementary medical insurance. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

In 1989, Medicare financed 46.3 percent of the public share of personal health care expenditures and 18.8 percent of total spending for personal health care. Sixty-two percent of Medicare benefits was for hospital care, another 27.5 percent was paid for physician services.

Medicare's prospective payment system, other cost containment measures, and a slowdown in the general economy slowed the growth in Medicare spending for hospital care from double digits in the early 1980s to 4.6 percent in 1986. Since then, growth in Medicare expenditures for hospital care has accelerated, reaching 8.0 percent in 1989. Medicare spent $62.1 billion in 1989 for all hospital care services, including inpatient, outpatient, and hospital-based home health agency services.

Medicare spending for physician services grew 70 percent faster than program spending for hospital care in 1989, reaching a total of $27.5 billion. Despite all efforts to restrain the growth in Medicare spending for physician services, Medicare's share of total expenditures continued to increase, paying for 23.4 percent of all physician services in 1989.

Reductions in Medicare payments for overpriced procedures, fee schedules based on resource-based relative value scales, and volume performance standards are examples of current and future initiatives which attempt to control the growth in Medicare spending for physician services.

Medicare's share of national spending for nursing home care grew from 2.3 percent in 1988 to 7.5 percent in 1989. Medicare paid $3.6 billion for skilled nursing facility care in 1989, a 270-percent increase over 1988 spending. This growth was largely a result of provisions of the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988 which became effective in 1989. The Act was repealed in December 1989; lingering effects of these provisions are expected in 1990.

Medicaid

In 1989, Medicaid spent $59.3 billion of combined Federal and State funds, which accounted for 11.2 percent of the Nation's personal health care spending. Medicaid expenditures are largely institutional, with 38.6 percent spent on hospital care and 34.8 percent spent on nursing home care. Medicaid continues to be the largest third-party payer of long-term care expenditures, financing 43.1 percent of nursing home care in 1989. Medicaid benefit expenditures were 14.0 percent higher in 1989 than in 1988.

Medicaid is funded jointly by Federal and State and local governments. The Federal Government sets minimum requirements for eligibility and services, allowing State governments considerable flexibility in designing the total scope of the program within the constraints of the State budgetary process.

The Federal Government requires that all people receiving income benefits under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program (covering aged, blind, and disabled individuals) and families qualifying for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) automatically qualify for Medicaid benefits. Certain individuals with income too high to qualify for SSI or AFDC cash benefits (pregnant women, children under age 6, Medicare enrollees, and social security title IV-E recipients of foster care and adoption assistance) are also mandatorily eligible for Medicaid. State governments may, at their option, extend the program to cover “medically indigent” individuals or families, recipients of State supplementary payments, and other people with income or resources below specified levels.

Aged and disabled Medicare enrollees with incomes below certain levels were mandatorily covered by Medicaid under the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act of 1988. These Medicaid recipients are not eligible for full Medicaid benefits; Medicaid is required to pay only the Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance amounts. This provision of the Catastrophic Coverage Act was not repealed when the Act was repealed in 1989.

The Federal Government also defines minimum services which must be provided to Medicaid recipients. These services include inpatient and outpatient hospital services; physician care; rural health clinic services; laboratory and X-ray services; skilled nursing home and home health care to people over 21 years of age; early and periodic screening, diagnosis, and treatment to children under 21 years of age; prenatal care and nurse-midwife services; and family planning services. States may elect to provide additional services such as prescribed drugs, eyeglasses, dental care, and intermediate care facility services.

Through State “buy-in” agreements, Medicaid purchases Medicare supplementary medical insurance (Part B) coverage for people who are eligible for both programs. For these “dual-eligibles,” Medicare is the primary payer for Medicare-covered services, and Medicaid pays deductibles and coinsurance amounts and provides additional Medicaid-covered health care services. To avoid double counting, the Medicaid estimates presented here do not include the $1.0 billion paid to Medicare by Medicaid in 1989 for buy-in premiums. Therefore, actual Medicaid program expenditures for personal health care were $60.4 billion in 1989.

In fiscal year 1989, 24.1 million people received some type of Medicaid benefit (Table 9). The number of Medicaid recipients has increased in recent years because of program expansions. Although two-thirds of Medicaid recipients in fiscal year 1989 qualified because they were members of an AFDC family, they consumed only one-fourth of program benefits. Conversely, the aged, blind, and disabled, who represented less than one-third of Medicaid recipients, consumed nearly three-fourths of Medicaid benefits.

Table 11. National health expenditures aggregate amounts and average annual percent growth, by type of expenditure: Selected calendar years 1960-89.

Type of expenditure 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
Amount in billions
National health expenditures $27.1 $41.6 $74.4 $132.9 $249.1 $420.1 $452.3 $492.5 $544.0 $604.1
 Health services and supplies 25.4 38.2 69.1 124.7 237.8 404.7 436.3 475.2 524.1 583.5
  Personal health care 23.9 35.6 64.9 116.6 218.3 367.2 398.2 436.7 480.0 530.7
   Hospital care 9.3 14.0 27.9 52.4 102.4 167.9 179.4 193.8 211.7 232.8
   Physician services 5.3 8.2 13.6 23.3 41.9 74.0 82.1 93.0 105.1 117.6
   Dental services 2.0 2.8 4.7 8.2 14.4 23.3 24.7 27.1 29.4 31.4
   Other professional services 0.6 0.9 1.5 3.5 8.7 16.6 18.6 21.2 23.8 27.0
   Home health care 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.4 1.3 3.8 4.0 4.1 4.5 5.4
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 4.2 5.9 8.8 13.0 20.1 32.3 35.6 38.7 41.5 44.6
   Vision products and other medical durables 0.8 1.2 2.0 3.1 5.0 8.4 9.5 10.7 12.0 13.5
   Nursing home care 1.0 1.7 4.9 9.9 20.0 34.1 36.7 39.8 42.8 47.9
   Other personal health care 0.7 0.8 1.4 2.7 4.6 6.8 7.6 8.3 9.3 10.5
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 1.2 1.9 2.8 5.1 12.2 25.2 24.7 23.9 27.9 35.3
  Government public health activities 0.4 0.6 1.4 3.0 7.2 12.3 13.5 14.7 16.2 17.5
 Research and construction 1.7 3.5 5.3 8.3 11.3 15.4 16.0 17.3 19.8 20.6
  Research1 0.7 1.5 2.0 3.3 5.4 7.8 8.5 9.0 10.3 11.0
  Construction 1.0 1.9 3.4 5.0 5.8 7.6 7.4 8.2 9.5 9.6
Average annual percent growth from previous year shown
National health expenditures 8.9 12.3 12.3 13.4 11.0 7.7 8.9 10.5 11.1
 Health services and supplies 8.5 12.6 12.5 13.8 11.2 7.8 8.9 10.3 11.3
  Personal health care 8.3 12.8 12.4 13.4 11.0 8.4 9.7 9.9 10.6
   Hospital care 8.6 14.7 13.4 14.3 10.4 6.8 8.0 9.2 10.0
   Physician services 9.2 10.6 11.4 12.5 12.1 10.9 13.3 13.1 11.9
   Dental services 7.3 10.8 12.1 11.7 10.1 6.4 9.6 8.5 6.7
   Other professional services 7.4 11.8 18.3 19.9 13.8 12.0 13.6 12.3 13.7
   Home health care 9.6 19.7 23.2 27.2 23.3 3.7 3.4 9.5 19.1
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 6.8 8.4 8.1 9.1 9.9 10.2 8.7 7.4 7.5
   Vision products and other medical durables 9.0 10.1 8.8 10.1 11.0 13.6 12.5 11.8 12.9
   Nursing home care 11.6 23.4 15.4 15.0 11.3 7.6 8.4 7.5 12.0
   Other personal health care 3.5 10.7 14.6 11.0 8.4 10.9 9.9 11.4 12.8
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 10.5 7.5 12.8 19.3 15.5 −2.0 −3.1 16.8 26.5
  Government public health activities 10.8 17.1 17.0 18.9 11.3 9.6 8.6 10.5 8.1
 Research and construction 15.2 9.0 9.2 6.4 6.4 3.7 8.2 14.9 3.9
  Research1 17.1 5.1 11.2 10.4 7.4 9.5 5.7 14.5 6.2
  Construction 13.9 11.8 8.0 3.3 5.4 −2.4 11.1 15.3 1.5
1

Research and development expenditures of drug companies and other manufacturers and providers of medical equipment and supplies are excluded from “research expenditures,” but they are included in the expenditure class in which the product falls.

NOTE: Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 12. National health expenditures, by source of funds and type of expenditure: Selected calendar years 1980-89.

Year and type of expenditure Total Private Government


All private funds Consumer Other Total Federal State and local

Total Out of pocket Private insurance

Amount in billions
1980
National health expenditures $249.1 $143.9 $131.8 $58.4 $73.4 $12.1 $105.2 $72.0 $33.2
 Health services and supplies 237.8 139.7 131.8 58.4 73.4 7.8 98.1 66.8 31.4
  Personal health care 218.3 131.3 123.7 58.4 65.3 7.6 87.1 63.5 23.6
   Hospital care 102.4 47.8 42.8 5.3 37.5 5.0 54.6 41.3 13.3
   Physician services 41.9 29.2 29.2 11.3 18.0 0.0 12.6 9.7 3.0
   Dental services 14.4 13.7 13.7 9.4 4.4 0.6 0.4 0.3
   Other professional services 8.7 6.9 6.0 3.8 2.2 0.9 1.7 1.3 0.4
   Home health care 1.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 1.0 0.8 0.1
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 20.1 18.5 18.5 16.0 2.5 1.7 0.8 0.8
   Vision products and other medical durables 5.0 4.4 4.4 3.9 0.4 0.6 0.5 0.1
   Nursing home care 20.0 9.5 8.8 8.7 0.2 0.6 10.5 6.1 4.4
   Other personal health care 4.6 0.9 0.9 3.7 2.5 1.2
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 12.2 8.4 8.1 8.1 0.2 3.8 2.1 1.8
  Government public health activities 7.2 7.2 1.2 6.0
 Research and construction 11.3 4.2 4.2 7.0 5.2 1.8
  Research 5.4 0.3 0.3 5.2 4.7 0.5
  Construction 5.8 4.0 4.0 1.9 0.6 1.3
1986
National health expenditures 452.3 260.9 240.9 97.4 143.5 20.0 191.3 132.6 58.8
 Health services and supplies 436.3 254.9 240.9 97.4 143.5 14.0 181.4 125.0 56.5
  Personal health care 398.2 236.2 222.7 97.4 125.2 13.5 162.0 120.2 41.7
   Hospital care 179.4 81.1 72.5 8.6 63.8 8.6 98.3 75.4 23.0
   Physician services 82.1 54.7 54.7 16.3 38.3 0.0 27.4 21.8 5.5
   Dental services 24.7 24.1 24.1 14.2 9.9 0.7 0.3 0.3
   Other professional services 18.6 15.0 12.8 6.6 6.1 2.2 3.6 2.7 0.9
   Home health care 4.0 1.1 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.4 2.9 2.3 0.5
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 35.6 31.9 31.9 26.3 5.5 3.7 1.7 1.9
   Vision products and other medical durables 9.5 7.7 7.7 6.9 0.8 1.8 1.6 0.2
   Nursing home care 36.7 19.1 18.4 18.0 0.4 0.7 17.6 10.4 7.2
   Other personal health care 7.6 1.6 1.6 6.0 3.8 2.2
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 24.7 18.7 18.2 18.2 0.5 6.0 3.3 2.7
  Government public health activities 13.5 13.5 1.4 12.1
 Research and construction 16.0 6.0 6.0 9.9 7.6 2.3
  Research 8.5 0.7 0.7 7.8 6.7 1.1
  Construction 7.4 5.3 5.3 2.1 0.9 1.2
1987
National health expenditures 492.5 282.9 261.0 104.7 156.3 21.8 209.6 143.5 66.2
 Health services and supplies 475.2 276.2 261.0 104.7 156.3 15.2 199.0 135.3 63.7
  Personal health care 436.7 258.8 244.2 104.7 139.4 14.7 177.8 130.3 47.5
   Hospital care 193.8 87.6 78.2 8.7 69.5 9.4 106.2 80.1 26.0
   Physician services 93.0 61.7 61.7 17.8 43.8 0.0 31.3 24.9 6.3
   Dental services 27.1 26.4 26.4 15.4 11.0 0.7 0.4 0.3
   Other professional services 21.2 16.9 14.5 7.0 7.5 2.4 4.3 3.2 1.1
   Home health care 4.1 1.1 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.3 3.1 2.4 0.7
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 38.7 34.4 34.4 28.5 6.0 4.2 2.0 2.3
   Vision products and other medical durables 10.7 8.7 8.7 7.7 0.9 2.0 1.8 0.2
   Nursing home care 39.8 20.3 19.5 19.1 0.4 0.8 19.5 11.4 8.1
   Other personal health care 8.3 1.7 1.7 6.6 4.2 2.4
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 23.9 17.4 16.9 16.9 0.5 6.5 3.4 3.2
  Government public health activities 14.7 14.7 1.6 13.0
 Research and construction 17.3 6.7 6.7 10.6 8.1 2.5
  Research 9.0 0.7 0.7 8.3 7.1 1.2
  Construction 8.2 5.9 5.9 2.3 1.1 1.3
1988
National health expenditures $544.0 $315.8 $291.5 $115.5 $176.0 $24.3 $228.2 $156.7 $71.5
 Health services and supplies 524.1 307.9 291.5 115.5 176.0 16.5 216.2 147.5 68.7
  Personal health care 480.0 287.4 271.4 115.5 155.9 16.0 192.7 141.7 51.0
   Hospital care 211.7 97.8 87.5 11.3 76.2 10.3 113.9 85.7 28.2
   Physician services 105.1 70.2 70.2 20.1 50.1 0.0 34.9 28.1 6.8
   Dental services 29.4 28.7 28.7 16.3 12.4 0.7 0.4 0.3
   Other professional services 23.8 19.2 16.6 7.6 8.9 2.6 4.6 3.5 1.1
   Home health care 4.5 1.2 0.8 0.5 0.3 0.3 3.4 2.6 0.7
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 41.5 36.8 36.8 30.4 6.5 4.7 2.2 2.5
   Vision products and other medical durables 12.0 9.7 9.7 8.7 1.0 2.2 2.0 0.3
   Nursing home care 42.8 21.8 21.0 20.6 0.5 0.8 20.9 12.6 8.3
   Other personal health care 9.3 1.9 1.9 7.4 4.7 2.7
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 27.9 20.6 20.1 20.1 0.5 7.3 3.9 3.4
  Government public health activities 16.2 16.2 1.9 14.3
 Research and construction 19.8 7.8 7.8 12.0 9.2 2.8
  Research 10.3 0.7 0.7 9.6 8.3 1.3
  Construction 9.5 7.1 7.1 2.4 0.9 1.5
1989
National health expenditures 604.1 350.9 324.5 124.8 199.7 26.3 253.3 174.4 78.8
 Health services and supplies 583.5 342.7 324.5 124.8 199.7 18.2 240.8 164.8 76.1
  Personal health care 530.7 315.3 297.7 124.8 172.9 17.6 215.4 158.4 57.0
   Hospital care 232.8 108.3 96.9 12.7 84.2 11.4 124.5 92.9 31.6
   Physician services 117.6 78.5 78.4 22.4 56.1 0.0 39.2 31.8 7.4
   Dental services 31.4 30.7 30.7 17.2 13.4 0.7 0.4 0.3
   Other professional services 27.0 21.6 18.7 8.5 10.2 2.9 5.4 4.1 1.4
   Home health care 5.4 1.3 1.0 0.6 0.4 0.3 4.1 3.1 0.9
   Drugs and other medical nondurables 44.6 39.3 39.3 32.3 7.0 5.3 2.5 2.8
   Vision products and other medical durables 13.5 11.0 11.0 9.8 1.2 2.5 2.2 0.3
   Nursing home care 47.9 22.7 21.8 21.3 0.5 0.9 25.2 16.2 9.0
   Other personal health care 10.5 2.1 2.1 8.4 5.2 3.3
  Program administration and net cost of private health insurance 35.3 27.4 26.8 26.8 0.5 8.0 4.3 3.6
  Government public health activities 17.5 17.5 2.1 15.4
 Research and construction 20.6 8.2 8.2 12.4 9.7 2.8
  Research 11.0 0.8 0.8 10.2 8.8 1.4
  Construction 9.6 7.4 7.4 2.2 0.8 1.4

NOTES: 0.0 denotes less than $50 million. Research and development expenditures of drug companies and other manufacturers and providers of medical equipment and supplies are excluded from “research expenditures,” but are included in the expenditure class in which the product falls. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 13. Personal health care expenditures aggregate and per capita amounts and percent distribution, by source of funds: Calendar years 1980-89.

Year Total Out-of-pocket payments Third-party payments Medicare1 Medicaid2

Total Private health insurance Other private funds Government

Total Federal State and local
Amount in billions
1980 $218.3 $58.4 $159.9 $65.3 $7.6 $87.1 $63.5 $23.6 $36.4 $24.8
1981 253.2 65.5 187.7 77.1 8.9 101.6 74.9 26.7 43.9 28.9
1982 284.1 71.9 212.2 88.5 10.2 113.5 84.0 29.5 51.4 30.6
1983 312.4 78.8 233.6 97.4 11.0 125.3 93.4 31.8 58.5 33.6
1984 338.6 85.0 253.6 106.3 11.4 135.9 101.8 34.1 64.4 36.0
1985 367.2 91.7 275.5 114.0 12.9 148.7 111.8 36.9 70.3 39.7
1986 398.2 97.4 300.7 125.2 13.5 162.0 120.2 41.7 75.1 42.9
1987 436.7 104.7 331.9 139.4 14.7 177.8 130.3 47.5 81.2 48.2
1988 480.0 115.5 364.5 155.9 16.0 192.7 141.7 51.0 88.5 52.1
1989 530.7 124.8 405.9 172.9 17.6 215.4 158.4 57.0 99.8 59.3
Per capita amount
1980 $928 $248 $680 $277 $32 $370 $270 $100 (3) (3)
1981 1,066 276 790 325 38 428 315 112 (3) (3)
1982 1,184 300 884 369 43 473 350 123 (3) (3)
1983 1,289 325 964 402 45 517 386 131 (3) (3)
1984 1,384 347 1,036 434 47 555 416 139 (3) (3)
1985 1,486 371 1,115 461 52 602 453 149 (3) (3)
1986 1,596 391 1,206 502 54 649 482 167 (3) (3)
1987 1,734 416 1,318 554 58 706 517 189 (3) (3)
1988 1,888 454 1,434 613 63 758 557 200 (3) (3)
1989 2,068 486 1,582 674 69 839 617 222 (3) (3)
Percent distribution
1980 100.0 26.8 73.2 29.9 3.5 39.9 29.1 10.8 16.7 11.4
1981 100.0 25.9 74.1 30.5 3.5 40.1 29.6 10.5 17.3 11.4
1982 100.0 25.3 74.7 31.1 3.6 40.0 29.6 10.4 18.1 10.8
1983 100.0 25.2 74.8 31.2 3.5 40.1 29.9 10.2 18.7 10.7
1984 100.0 25.1 74.9 31.4 3.4 40.1 30.1 10.1 19.0 10.6
1985 100.0 25.0 75.0 31.0 3.5 40.5 30.5 10.0 19.1 10.8
1986 100.0 24.5 75.5 31.5 3.4 40.7 30.2 10.5 18.9 10.8
1987 100.0 24.0 76.0 31.9 3.4 40.7 29.8 10.9 18.6 11.0
1988 100.0 24.1 75.9 32.5 3.3 40.1 29.5 10.6 18.4 10.8
1989 100.0 23.5 76.5 32.6 3.3 40.6 29.8 10.7 18.8 11.2
1

Subset of Federal funds.

2

Subset of Federal and State and local funds.

3

Calculation of per capita estimates is inappropriate.

NOTES: Per capita amounts based on July 1 social security area population estimates. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 14. Hospital care expenditures aggregate and per capita amounts and percent distribution, by source of funds: Calendar years 1980-89.

Year Total Out-of-pocket payments Third-party payments Medicare1 Medicaid2

Total Private health insurance Other private funds Government

Total Federal State and local
Amount in billions
1980 $102.4 $5.3 $97.1 $37.5 $5.0 $54.6 $41.3 $13.3 $26.4 $9.7
1981 119.6 6.2 113.3 43.6 6.0 63.6 48.5 15.1 31.6 11.2
1982 135.9 7.2 128.7 50.1 6.9 71.7 55.1 16.6 36.8 12.0
1983 147.2 7.6 139.6 53.9 7.2 78.4 60.6 17.8 41.1 13.3
1984 157.2 8.1 149.1 56.9 7.3 84.9 66.3 18.7 45.3 14.3
1985 167.9 8.8 159.1 59.4 8.2 91.5 71.6 19.9 48.6 15.5
1986 179.4 8.6 170.8 63.8 8.6 98.3 75.4 23.0 50.9 16.5
1987 193.8 8.7 185.1 69.5 9.4 106.2 80.1 26.0 53.7 18.5
1988 211.7 11.3 200.4 76.2 10.3 113.9 85.7 28.2 57.5 20.0
1989 232.8 12.7 220.1 84.2 11.4 124.5 92.9 31.6 62.1 22.9
Per capita amount
1980 $435 $23 $413 $159 $21 $232 $176 $56 (3) (3)
1981 503 26 477 184 25 268 204 64 (3) (3)
1982 566 30 536 209 29 299 230 69 (3) (3)
1983 607 31 576 223 30 323 250 73 (3) (3)
1984 642 33 609 232 30 347 271 76 (3) (3)
1985 680 36 644 240 33 370 290 81 (3) (3)
1986 719 35 685 256 35 394 302 92 (3) (3)
1987 769 35 735 276 37 422 318 103 (3) (3)
1988 833 44 788 300 41 448 337 111 (3) (3)
1989 907 49 858 328 44 485 362 123 (3) (3)
Percent distribution
1980 100.0 5.2 94.8 36.6 4.9 53.3 40.4 12.9 25.8 9.4
1981 100.0 5.2 94.8 36.5 5.0 53.2 40.6 12.7 26.4 9.4
1982 100.0 5.3 94.7 36.8 5.1 52.8 40.5 12.2 27.1 8.8
1983 100.0 5.2 94.8 36.6 4.9 53.3 41.2 12.1 27.9 9.0
1984 100.0 5.1 94.9 36.2 4.6 54.0 42.2 11.9 28.8 9.1
1985 100.0 5.2 94.8 35.4 4.9 54.5 42.6 11.9 29.0 9.2
1986 100.0 4.8 95.2 35.6 4.8 54.8 42.0 12.8 28.3 9.2
1987 100.0 4.5 95.5 35.8 4.9 54.8 41.3 13.4 27.7 9.6
1988 100.0 5.3 94.7 36.0 4.9 53.8 40.5 13.3 27.2 9.5
1989 100.0 5.5 94.5 36.2 4.9 53.5 39.9 13.6 26.7 9.8
1

Subset of Federal funds.

2

Subset of Federal and State and local funds.

3

Calculation of per capita estimates is inappropriate.

NOTES: Per capita amounts based on July 1 social security area population estimates. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 15. Physician care expenditures aggregate and per capita amounts and percent distribution, by source of funds: Calendar years 1980-89.

Year Total Out-of-pocket payments Third-party payments Medicare1 Medicaid2

Total Private health insurance Other private funds Government

Total Federal State and local
Amount in billions
1980 $41.9 $11.3 $30.6 $18.0 $0.0 $12.6 $9.7 $3.0 $7.9 $2.1
1981 48.8 12.8 35.9 21.0 0.0 14.9 11.6 3.2 9.7 2.4
1982 53.8 13.5 40.3 23.4 0.0 16.8 13.3 3.5 11.3 2.3
1983 60.6 14.6 46.1 26.6 0.0 19.4 15.5 3.9 13.4 2.4
1984 67.1 15.7 51.5 30.4 0.0 21.1 16.8 4.3 14.5 2.5
1985 74.0 16.1 57.9 33.7 0.0 24.1 19.2 4.9 16.6 2.8
1986 82.1 16.3 65.7 38.3 0.0 27.4 21.8 5.5 18.8 3.2
1987 93.0 17.8 75.1 43.8 0.0 31.3 24.9 6.3 21.6 3.5
1988 105.1 20.1 85.0 50.1 0.0 34.9 28.1 6.8 24.2 3.7
1989 117.6 22.4 95.3 56.1 0.0 39.2 31.8 7.4 27.5 4.2
Per capita amount
1980 $178 $48 $130 $76 $0 $54 $41 $13 (3) (3)
1981 205 54 151 88 0 63 49 14 (3) (3)
1982 224 56 168 98 0 70 55 15 (3) (3)
1983 250 60 190 110 0 80 64 16 (3) (3)
1984 274 64 210 124 0 86 69 18 (3) (3)
1985 299 65 234 136 0 98 78 20 (3) (3)
1986 329 65 264 154 0 110 88 22 (3) (3)
1987 369 71 298 174 0 124 99 25 (3) (3)
1988 413 79 334 197 0 137 110 27 (3) (3)
1989 458 87 371 218 0 153 124 29 (3) (3)
Percent distribution
1980 100.0 26.9 73.1 42.9 0.1 30.2 23.1 7.1 19.0 5.1
1981 100.0 26.3 73.7 43.1 0.1 30.5 23.9 6.6 19.8 4.8
1982 100.0 25.1 74.9 43.5 0.1 31.3 24.7 6.6 21.1 4.2
1983 100.0 24.0 76.0 43.9 0.0 32.0 25.6 6.4 22.0 4.0
1984 100.0 23.3 76.7 45.2 0.0 31.4 25.0 6.4 21.6 3.8
1985 100.0 21.8 78.2 45.6 0.0 32.6 26.0 6.6 22.5 3.9
1986 100.0 19.9 80.1 46.7 0.0 33.4 26.6 6.7 23.0 3.9
1987 100.0 19.2 80.8 47.1 0.0 33.6 26.8 6.8 23.2 3.8
1988 100.0 19.1 80.9 47.6 0.0 33.2 26.7 6.5 23.0 3.6
1989 100.0 19.0 81.0 47.6 0.0 33.3 27.0 6.3 23.4 3.6
1

Subset of Federal funds.

2

Subset of Federal and State and local funds.

3

Calculation of per capita estimates is inappropriate.

NOTES: 0.0 denotes less than $50 million for aggregate amounts, and 0 denotes less than $.50 for per capita amounts. Per capita amounts based on July 1 social security area population estimates. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 16. Nursing home care expenditures aggregate and per capita amounts and percent distribution, by source of funds: Calendar years 1980-89.

Year Total Out-of-pocket payments Third-party payments Medicare1 Medicaid2

Total Private health insurance Other private funds Government

Total Federal State and local
Amount in billions
1980 $20.0 $8.7 $11.3 $0.2 $0.6 $10.5 $6.1 $4.4 $0.4 $9.7
1981 23.3 10.0 13.3 0.2 0.7 12.4 7.4 5.0 0.5 11.5
1982 26.1 11.9 14.2 0.3 0.7 13.3 7.6 5.6 0.5 12.2
1983 28.9 13.6 15.3 0.3 0.7 14.3 8.3 6.0 0.5 13.2
1984 31.2 14.9 16.2 0.3 0.7 15.2 8.7 6.5 0.6 14.0
1985 34.1 16.6 17.5 0.3 0.7 16.5 9.7 6.8 0.6 15.2
1986 36.7 18.0 18.7 0.4 0.7 17.6 10.4 7.2 0.6 16.2
1987 39.8 19.1 20.7 0.4 0.8 19.5 11.4 8.1 0.6 17.9
1988 42.8 20.6 22.2 0.5 0.8 20.9 12.6 8.3 1.0 19.0
1989 47.9 21.3 26.7 0.5 0.9 25.2 16.2 9.0 3.6 20.6
Per capita amount
1980 $85 $37 $48 $1 $3 $45 $26 $19 (3) (3)
1981 98 42 56 1 3 52 31 21 (3) (3)
1982 109 50 59 1 3 55 32 23 (3) (3)
1983 119 56 63 1 3 59 34 25 (3) (3)
1984 127 61 66 1 3 62 36 27 (3) (3)
1985 138 67 71 1 3 67 39 28 (3) (3)
1986 147 72 75 1 3 71 42 29 (3) (3)
1987 158 76 82 2 3 77 45 32 (3) (3)
1988 168 81 87 2 3 82 50 33 (3) (3)
1989 187 83 104 2 4 98 63 35 (3) (3)
Percent distribution
1980 100.0 43.3 56.7 0.9 3.1 52.7 30.7 21.9 2.1 48.6
1981 100.0 42.8 57.2 1.0 2.8 53.4 31.9 21.5 1.9 49.6
1982 100.0 45.6 54.4 1.1 2.6 50.7 29.1 21.5 1.9 46.8
1983 100.0 47.1 52.9 1.0 2.3 49.5 28.6 20.9 1.8 45.7
1984 100.0 47.9 52.1 1.1 2.1 48.9 28.0 20.9 1.8 44.9
1985 100.0 48.6 51.4 1.0 1.9 48.5 28.5 20.0 1.7 44.6
1986 100.0 49.1 50.9 1.0 1.9 48.0 28.4 19.5 1.6 44.1
1987 100.0 48.0 52.0 1.0 1.9 49.0 28.5 20.5 1.6 45.1
1988 100.0 48.0 52.0 1.1 1.9 48.9 29.5 19.5 2.3 44.4
1989 100.0 44.4 55.6 1.1 1.9 52.6 33.8 18.8 7.5 43.1
1

Subset of Federal funds.

2

Subset of Federal and State and local funds.

3

Calculation of per capita estimates is inappropriate.

NOTES: Per capita amounts based on July 1 social security area population estimates. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 17. Other personal health care expenditures1 aggregate and per capita amounts and percent distribution, by source of funds: Calendar years 1980-89.

Year Total Out-of-pocket payments Third-party payments Medicare2 Medicaid3

Total Private health insurance Other private funds Government

Total Federal State and local
Amount in billions
1980 $54.1 $33.2 $20.9 $9.7 $1.9 $9.3 $6.3 $3.0 $1.7 $3.3
1981 61.6 36.5 25.1 12.2 2.2 10.6 7.3 3.3 2.2 3.8
1982 68.3 39.3 29.0 14.7 2.6 11.7 8.0 3.7 2.7 4.1
1983 75.8 43.1 32.7 16.5 3.0 13.2 9.1 4.1 3.5 4.7
1984 83.1 46.3 36.8 18.7 3.4 14.6 10.0 4.6 4.0 5.2
1985 91.2 50.2 41.0 20.5 4.0 16.5 11.3 5.2 4.4 6.1
1986 100.0 54.5 45.5 22.7 4.2 18.7 12.6 6.1 4.8 7.0
1987 110.1 59.0 51.0 25.7 4.4 20.9 13.9 7.0 5.3 8.2
1988 120.4 63.5 56.9 29.1 4.8 23.0 15.4 7.6 5.8 9.3
1989 132.4 68.5 63.9 32.1 5.3 26.5 17.5 8.9 6.7 11.6
Per capita amount
1980 $230 $141 $89 $41 $8 $40 $27 $13 (4) (4)
1981 259 153 106 52 9 45 31 14 (4) (4)
1982 285 164 121 61 11 49 33 15 (4) (4)
1983 313 178 135 68 12 54 37 17 (4) (4)
1984 340 189 150 77 14 60 41 19 (4) (4)
1985 369 203 166 83 16 67 46 21 (4) (4)
1986 401 218 182 91 17 75 51 24 (4) (4)
1987 437 234 203 102 18 83 55 28 (4) (4)
1988 474 250 224 115 19 90 60 30 (4) (4)
1989 516 267 249 125 20 103 68 35 (4) (4)
Percent distribution
1980 100.0 61.4 38.6 17.9 3.6 17.2 11.7 5.6 3.1 6.1
1981 100.0 59.2 40.8 19.9 3.6 17.3 11.9 5.4 3.5 6.2
1982 100.0 57.5 42.5 21.5 3.8 17.1 11.8 5.4 4.0 6.0
1983 100.0 56.8 43.2 21.8 4.0 17.4 12.0 5.4 4.6 6.2
1984 100.0 55.8 44.2 22.5 4.1 17.6 12.0 5.5 4.8 6.2
1985 100.0 55.0 45.0 22.5 4.4 18.1 12.4 5.7 4.9 6.7
1986 100.0 54.5 45.5 22.7 4.2 18.7 12.6 6.1 4.8 7.0
1987 100.0 53.6 46.4 23.3 4.0 19.0 12.6 6.4 4.8 7.5
1988 100.0 52.8 47.2 24.2 4.0 19.1 12.8 6.3 4.8 7.7
1989 100.0 51.8 48.2 24.3 4.0 20.0 13.2 6.8 5.0 8.7
1

Personal health care expenditures other than those for hospital care, physician services, and nursing home care.

2

Subset of Federal funds.

3

Subset of Federal and State and local funds.

4

Calculation of per capita estimates is inappropriate.

NOTES: Per capita amounts based on July 1 social security area population estimates. Numbers and percents may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Table 18. Personal health care expenditures, by type of expenditure and selected sources of payment: Selected calendar years 1980-89.

Source of payment Total Hospital care Physician services Dental services Other professional services Home health care Drugs and other medical nondurables Vision products and other medical durables Nursing home care Other personal care

Amount in billions
1980
Personal health care expenditures $218.3 $102.4 $41.9 $14.4 $8.7 $1.3 $20.1 $5.0 $20.0 $4.6
 Out-of-pocket payments 58.4 5.3 11.3 9.4 3.8 0.1 16.0 3.9 8.7
 Third-party payments 159.9 97.1 30.6 5.0 4.9 1.2 4.2 1.0 11.3 4.6
  Private health insurance 65.3 37.5 18.0 4.4 2.2 0.1 2.5 0.4 0.2
  Other private 7.6 5.0 0.0 0.9 0.1 0.6 0.9
  Government 87.1 54.6 12.6 0.6 1.7 1.0 1.7 0.6 10.5 3.7
   Federal 63.5 41.3 9.7 0.4 1.3 0.8 0.8 0.5 6.1 2.5
    Medicare 36.4 26.4 7.9 0.6 0.7 0.4 0.4
    Medicaid 13.7 5.3 1.2 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.8 5.4 0.3
    Other 13.4 9.7 0.5 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.4 2.2
   State and local 23.6 13.3 3.0 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.8 0.1 4.4 1.2
    Medicaid 11.1 4.4 1.0 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.6 4.4 0.3
    Other 12.5 8.9 2.0 0.1 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.9
Total Medicaid 24.8 9.7 2.1 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.4 9.7 0.6
1986
Personal health care expenditures 398.2 179.4 82.1 24.7 18.6 4.0 35.6 9.5 36.7 7.6
 Out-of-pocket payments 97.4 8.6 16.3 14.2 6.6 0.4 26.3 6.9 18.0
 Third-party payments 300.7 170.8 65.7 10.6 12.0 3.5 9.2 2.6 18.7 7.6
  Private health insurance 125.2 63.8 38.3 9.9 6.1 0.3 5.5 0.8 0.4
  Other private 13.5 8.6 0.0 2.2 0.4 0.7 1.6
  Government 162.0 98.3 27.4 0.7 3.6 2.9 3.7 1.8 17.6 6.0
   Federal 120.2 75.4 21.8 0.3 2.7 2.3 1.7 1.6 10.4 3.8
    Medicare 75.1 50.9 18.8 1.7 1.8 1.4 0.6
    Medicaid 24.0 9.2 1.8 0.3 0.6 0.6 1.7 9.0 0.8
    Other 21.1 15.4 1.2 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.1 0.8 3.0
   State and local 41.7 23.0 5.5 0.3 0.9 0.5 1.9 0.2 7.2 2.2
    Medicaid 18.9 7.4 1.3 0.2 0.5 0.5 1.2 7.1 0.6
    Other 22.8 15.6 4.2 0.1 0.4 0.0 0.7 0.2 0.0 1.6
Total Medicaid 42.9 16.5 3.2 0.5 1.0 1.1 2.9 16.2 1.4
1987
Personal health care expenditures 436.7 193.8 93.0 27.1 21.2 4.1 38.7 10.7 39.8 8.3
 Out-of-pocket payments 104.7 8.7 17.8 15.4 7.0 0.5 28.5 7.7 19.1
 Third-party payments 331.9 185.1 75.1 11.7 14.2 3.6 10.2 3.0 20.7 8.3
  Private health insurance 139.4 69.5 43.8 11.0 7.5 0.3 6.0 0.9 0.4
  Other private 14.7 9.4 0.0 2.4 0.3 0.8 1.7
  Government 177.8 106.2 31.3 0.7 4.3 3.1 4.2 2.0 19.5 6.6
   Federal 130.3 80.1 24.9 0.4 3.2 2.4 2.0 1.8 11.4 4.2
    Medicare 81.2 53.7 21.6 1.9 1.7 1.7 0.6
    Medicaid 26.4 10.1 2.0 0.3 0.7 0.7 1.9 9.8 1.0
    Other 22.7 16.3 1.4 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.9 3.2
   State and local 47.5 26.0 6.3 0.3 1.1 0.7 2.3 0.2 8.1 2.4
    Medicaid 21.8 8.5 1.5 0.3 0.6 0.6 1.4 8.1 0.8
    Other 25.7 17.6 4.8 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.9 0.2 0.0 1.7
Total Medicaid 48.2 18.5 3.5 0.6 1.3 1.3 3.3 17.9 1.7
1988
Personal health care expenditures $480.0 $211.7 $105.1 $29.4 $23.8 4.5 $41.5 $12.0 $42.8 $9.3
 Out-of-pocket payments 115.5 11.3 20.1 16.3 7.6 0.5 30.4 8.7 20.6
 Third-party payments 364.5 200.4 85.0 13.1 16.1 4.0 11.1 3.3 22.2 9.3
  Private health insurance 155.9 76.2 50.1 12.4 8.9 0.3 6.5 1.0 0.5
  Other private 16.0 10.3 0.0 2.6 0.3 0.8 1.9
  Government 192.7 113.9 34.9 0.7 4.6 3.4 4.7 2.2 20.9 7.4
   Federal 141.7 85.7 28.1 0.4 3.5 2.6 2.2 2.0 12.6 4.7
    Medicare 88.5 57.5 24.2 2.1 1.8 1.8 1.0
    Medicaid 29.4 11.2 2.2 0.3 0.8 0.8 2.1 10.7 1.3
    Other 23.9 17.0 1.7 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.9 3.4
   State and local 51.0 28.2 6.8 0.3 1.1 0.7 2.5 0.3 8.3 2.7
    Medicaid 22.7 8.8 1.5 0.3 0.6 0.7 1.5 8.3 1.0
    Other 28.3 19.3 5.3 0.1 0.5 0.0 0.9 0.3 0.0 1.8
Total Medicaid 52.1 20.0 3.7 0.6 1.4 1.5 3.6 19.0 2.2
1989
Personal health care expenditures 530.7 232.8 117.6 31.4 27.0 5.4 44.6 13.5 47.9 10.5
 Out-of-pocket payments 124.8 12.7 22.4 17.2 8.5 0.6 32.3 9.8 21.3
 Third-party payments 405.9 220.1 95.3 14.2 18.5 4.8 12.3 3.7 26.7 10.5
  Private health insurance 172.9 84.2 56.1 13.4 10.2 0.4 7.0 1.2 0.5
  Other private 17.6 11.4 0.0 2.9 0.3 0.9 2.1
  Government 215.4 124.5 39.2 0.7 5.4 4.1 5.3 2.5 25.2 8.4
   Federal 158.4 92.9 31.8 0.4 4.1 3.1 2.5 2.2 16.2 5.2
    Medicare 99.8 62.1 27.5 2.5 2.1 2.1 3.6
    Medicaid 33.7 12.9 2.6 0.4 1.0 1.0 2.4 11.7 1.8
    Other 24.8 17.9 1.7 0.1 0.6 0.1 0.2 0.9 3.4
   State and local 57.0 31.6 7.4 0.3 1.4 0.9 2.8 0.3 9.0 3.3
    Medicaid 25.6 10.0 1.6 0.3 0.7 0.9 1.7 9.0 1.4
    Other 31.4 21.6 5.8 0.1 0.6 0.0 1.1 0.3 0.1 1.9
Total Medicaid 59.3 22.9 4.2 0.6 1.7 1.9 4.1 20.6 3.2

NOTES: 0.0 denotes less than $50 million. Medicaid expenditures exclude Part B premium payments to Medicare by States under “buy-in” agreements to cover premiums for eligible Medicaid recipients. Numbers may not add to totals because of rounding.

SOURCE: Health Care Financing Administration, Office of the Actuary: Data from the Office of National Cost Estimates.

Acknowledgments

The National Health Accounts are prepared in the Office of National Cost Estimates within the Health Care Financing Administration's Office of the Actuary. The authors are grateful to the following members of the office staff who assisted in the preparation of estimates: Cathy Cowan, Sue Donham, Dawn Li, and Madie Stewart. These estimates were prepared under the general direction of Katharine Levit. Sally Sonnefeld prepared estimates for private health insurance benefits and premiums.

Footnotes

Definitions and methods used to develop the NHE estimates are presented in an earlier article, Office of National Cost Estimates (1990).

Reprint requests: Carol Pearson, Office of National Cost Estimates, L-1, EQ05, 6325 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21207.

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Articles from Health Care Financing Review are provided here courtesy of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

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