Out-of-pocket costs jump 11 percent

Paying health care bills is only getting more difficult for consumers: Out-of-pocket costs for patients rose 11 percent in 2014, according to new data.

The report by TransUnion Healthcare said that out-of-pocket costs jumped to an average $2,491 per patient in 2014, up from $2,245 the year before, mostly because of skyrocketing costs in joint-replacement procedures for areas such as the knee and hip. Costs for those procedures surged by nearly 20 percent, it said.

“Our latest report demonstrates that consumers continue to feel the pressure of rising health care costs,” said Gerry McCarthy, president of TransUnion Healthcare, a subsidiary of the large credit report company. “Despite a slowly improving economy, many consumers are finding they have less money to make these payments. This issue is not just about patients, though, as thousands of health care administrators across the country face the challenge of providing quality care while also seeking fair compensation.”

Meanwhile, patient deductible costs rose nearly 7 percent in the last year from $1,062 in Q4 2013 to $1,133 in Q4 2014.

“This increase occurred prior to the government reporting that 16.4 million people now have secured health care coverage during the most recent open enrollment period of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” TransUnion said.