How much does an American family of four spend on healthcare in 2019?
According to new analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation (kff.org) the typical family of four in the USA spends as much annually on health coverage as the cost of buying a Harley-Davidson.
Premiums and out-of-pocket costs reached $7,726 in 2018 for those with employer-provided coverage.
And when the employer’s share of the health care costs is included, the family could have bought a Honda Insight for the overall $22,000 price tag.
Kaiser Family Foundation combined data sources to show how much money families with employer coverage are actually spending on their premium contributions, deductibles and co-payments.
The analysis found that families’ health care costs have risen twice as fast as wages and three times faster than inflation over the last decade.
Health care costs are a top issue for voters. But the debate among the more than 20 Democrats running for the party’s presidential nomination has centered less on reducing health care costs and more on whether expanding a version of Medicare is the best way to get health coverage to more people.
President Donald Trump has said reducing the cost of prescription drugs is a top priority. But his administration, and members of Congress, are still trying to figure out how they will approach this Herculean task. Currently it is at the idea stage and with every passing day, it appears less likely that there will be a plan that will be executed timely to allow the President to take credit for the program.
Photo by Oleg Magni
