50 Statistics on the Costliest Patients and U.S. Health Expenses

It's known that patients with the most expensive chronic conditions consume the largest amount of healthcare in the United States, but just how much do these "super utilizers" consume?

According to an August statistical brief from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the top 1 percent of the U.S. healthcare users accounted for 21.4 percent of total health expenditures in 2010. The top 25 percent absorbed roughly 86.4 percent of health spending.

Here are 50 statistics on healthcare utilization and expenditures by population in 2010, according to the AHRQ brief.

Overall
Top 1 percent
Health expenditures: 21.4 percent
Mean expenditures: $87,570

Top 5 percent
Health expenditures: 49.9 percent
Mean expenditures: $40,876

Top 10 percent
Health expenditures: 65.6 percent
Mean expenditures: $26,851

Top 25 percent
Health expenditures: 86.4 percent
Mean expenditures: $14,155

Top 50 percent
Health expenditures: 97.2 percent
Mean expenditures: $7,960

By age
Top 5 percent ages 0-17
Health expenditures: 54.6 percent
Mean expenditures: $16,901

Top 50 percent ages 0-17
Health expenditures: 95.9 percent
Mean expenditures: $2,968

Top 5 percent ages 18-44
Health expenditures: 50.5 percent
Mean expenditures: $24,871

Top 50 percent ages 18-44
Health expenditures: 97.8 percent
Mean expenditures: $4,803

Top 5 percent ages 45-64
Health expenditures: 45 percent
Mean expenditures: $51,881

Top 50 percent ages 45-64
Health expenditures: 95.5 percent
Mean expenditures: $10,956

Top 5 percent ages 65 and older
Health expenditures: 34.1 percent
Mean expenditures: $67,474

Top 50 percent ages 65 and older
Health expenditures: 91.3 percent
Mean expenditures: $18,066

By race/ethnicity
Top 5 percent of white population
Health expenditures: 46.2 percent
Mean expenditures: $43,236

Top 50 percent of white population
Health expenditures: 96.1 percent
Mean expenditures: $8,989

Top 5 percent of black population
Health expenditures: 58.4 percent
Mean expenditures: $47,329

Top 50 percent of black population
Health expenditures: 98.5 percent
Mean expenditures: $7,974

Top 5 percent of Asian population
Health expenditures: 55.1 percent
Mean expenditures: $26,865

Top 50 percent of Asian population
Health expenditures: 98.5 percent
Mean expenditures: $4,759

Top 5 percent of Hispanic population
Health expenditures: 60.3 percent
Mean expenditures: $27,307

Top 50 percent of Hispanic population
Health expenditures: 98.8 percent
Mean expenditures: $4,467

By sex
Top 5 percent of males
Health expenditures: 55.7 percent
Mean expenditures: $40,852

Top 50 percent of males
Health expenditures: 97.9 percent
Mean expenditures: $7,183

Top 5 percent of females
Health expenditures: 45.1 percent
Mean expenditures: $40,617

Top 50 percent of males
Health expenditures: 96.3 percent
Mean expenditures: $8,682

For more reading and analysis of health spending across population subgroups in 2010, read the entire AHRQ brief.

More Articles on Healthcare Expenditures:
CMS: Health Spending Growth to Stay Slow in 2013
CBO: National Healthcare Spending to Increase to 22% of GDP by 2038
Medicare Trustees: Hospital Funds Improve, Now Solvent Through 2026

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