Too Great a Burden Key Findings

Report from Families USA
December 20, 2007

Too Great a Burden:
America's Families at Risk

Key Findings

Millions of Americans Are Affected by High Health Care Costs

Nearly one out of four non-elderly Americans—61.6 million—is in a family that will spend more than 10 percent of its pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 (Table 2).
17.8 million Americans are in families that will spend more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 (Table 1).

A Growing Burden: More Americans with High Health Care Costs, 2000 to 2008

In 2000, 41.7 million non-elderly Americans were in families that spent more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs (Table 1).
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of people in families spending more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs will have grown by nearly 19.9 million (Table 1).
In 2000, 11.6 million Americans were in families that spent more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs (Table 1).
Between 2000 and 2008, the number of people in families spending more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs will have increased by 6.2 million (Table 1).

Millions of Insured Americans Are Affected

More than four out of five people (82.4 percent) in families spending more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs are insured (Table 3).
50.7 million non-elderly Americans with insurance are in families that will spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 (Table 4).
More than three out of four people (75.8 percent) in families spending more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs are insured (Table 3).
13.5 million Americans with insurance are in families that will spend more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 (Table 4).

High Health Costs: A Middle-Class Problem

Nearly half (48.5 percent) of people in families that will spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 are from families earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year (Table 5).
Nearly one-third (32.6 percent) of people in families that will spend more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care costs in 2008 are from families earning between $30,000 and $75,000 per year (Table 5).