Comparing Rhode Island's Health Costs

Healthcare costs in Rhode Island are slightly above the national average, but so is overall quality and performance. A single premium employer plan costs an employee an average of $840 compared to the national average of $723, with an employer contribution of $3,577 compared to the national average of $3,268.

Employees pay less than the national average for family premiums (22% compared to 24% of the total cost) with employers contributing more (78% compared with the national average of 76%). The state spends a total of approximately 6.7 billion per year (see Table 1 for a basic breakdown with comparison).

Table 1

	United States	Rhode Island
Hospital Care	36.50%	37.10%
Physician / Professional Services	28.80%	22.60%
Drugs / Medical Nondurables	14.30%	15.70%
Nursing Home Care	7.40%	9.20%
Dental Services	5.20%	4.30%
Home Health Care	2.80%	1.70%
Medical Durables	1.50%	0.90%
Other Personal Care	3.40%	8.50%
Total	100.00%	100.00%

Performance statistics from the U.S. Department of Health shows overall performance to be above average (see Table 2 for a basic breakdown).

Table 2

Health Care Measures	Compared with National Average	Direction
Preventive Care	Above average	Improved
Acute Care	Above average	Improved
Chronic Care	Above average	Improved
Hospital Care	Above average	Improved
Ambulatory Care	Above average	Worsened
Nursing Home Care	Above average	Improved
Home Health Care	Below average	Unchanged
Cancer Care	Above average	Improved
Diabetes Care	Above average	Improved
Heart Disease Care	Above average	Unchanged
Maternal and Child Health Care	Above average	Unchanged
Respiratory Diseases Care	Above average	Worsened

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Sources:

The Kaiser Family Foundation, statehealthfacts.org.
Data Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Financing, Access and Cost Trends. 2005 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) -Insurance Component.
Tables II.C.1, II.C.2, II.C.3 available at: Medical Expenditure Panel survey (MEPS), accessed August 8, 2007.
Additional data was provided from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.