Care for a family member or friend, which made up $199 billion of the total, included the value of time taken off work, calculated at $12.60 per hour. Other categories included ambulance services, alternative medicines, nutritional products and vitamins and weight-loss centers.
These costs are “a substantial and increasing burden,” the center said in a release. “Among the hardest-hit consumers are those with medical problems, seniors and caregivers.”
Read the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions release on healthcare spending.
Read more coverage of healthcare consumers:
– More Hospitals Publicizing Prices, Expanding Financial Counseling Services
– The Importance of Patient Experience for Hospitals: Why it Pays to Excel
