Figure 6. Per Capita Medicare Out-of-Pocket Expenses, by Type of Service, 1996.
- The largest out-of-pocket expense for Medicare beneficiaries in 1996 was for skilled or long-term facility care. This expense was disproportionately paid by the small percentage of beneficiaries living in long-term care facilities. Long-term care facilities, in many instances, can cost in excess of $1,000 per month.
- Medicare beneficiaries paid an average of $285 out-of-pocket on prescription drugs in 1996.