Patients continue to see rising out-of-pocket costs for their medical care, according to an analysis conducted by TransUnion Healthcare published March 5.
For the analysis, researchers examined anonymous data estimates from thousands of U.S. providers, including hospitals and healthcare clinics.
The analysis found patients' average out-of-pocket costs rose to $1,813 in the fourth quarter of 2017, up 11 percent from $1,630 in the same period the year prior. The analysis also broke down the amount of patient out-of-pocket costs. TransUnion Healthcare said researchers found on average, nearly half of patient out-of-pocket costs per healthcare visit (49 percent) were lower than $500 in 2017. Thirty-nine percent were $501 to $1,000; and 12 percent exceeded $1,000.
Additionally, the analysis examined patient out-of-pocket cost estimates by medical specialty. TransUnion Healthcare said orthopedics ($1,663) and plastic surgery ($1,566) were among the specialties with the highest out-of-pocket cost estimates. Other specialties with the highest estimates included: urology ($1,415) and neurology ($1,241).
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