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Hospital Prices Have Risen Much Faster for Private Insurance Than Medicare Since 2019

Hospitals account for nearly one-third of US health spending and 40% of spending growth from 2022-2024. Analysis shows hospital prices paid by private insurers have risen faster than Medicare rates since 2019, a trend with implications for affordability.

Hospital prices paid by private insurers rose 30% from 2019-2026, compared to a 21% increase in Medicare payment rates. The disparate growth widened an existing gap between what Medicare and private plans pay for hospital services.

What Are the Recent Trends in Employer-Based Health Coverage?

Policy Changes Bring Renewed Focus on High-Deductible Health Plans

Health Insurer Financial Performance in 2024

Examining Short-Term Limited-Duration Health Plans

Health Care Affordability

BTD Health Policy in 2026

Health Policy in 2026

President and CEO Dr. Drew Altman forecasts eight things to look for in health policy in 2026. “First and foremost,” he writes, “is the role health care affordability will play in the midterms.” And, he notes: “The average cost of a family policy for employers could approach $30,000 and cost sharing and deductibles will rise again after plateauing for several years.”

View all of Drew’s Beyond the Data Columns

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  • Public vs. Private Health Insurance on Controlling Spending

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman analyzes whether public or private health insurance does a better job of controlling costs. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online. 

  • Data Note: How Has the Individual Insurance Market Grown Under the Affordable Care Act?

    Issue Brief

    This data note examines changes in the individual insurance market under the Affordable Care Act. Through analysis of filings by insurers to state insurance departments, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that the number of people enrolled in the individual insurance market grew 40 percent from the end-of-year 2013 to the end-of-year 2014 and has likely continued growing in 2015 as well.

  • Survey of Non-Group Health Insurance Enrollees, Wave 2

    Poll Finding

    The survey is the second in a series exploring the experiences and perceptions of people who purchase their own health insurance, the group perhaps most affected by the Affordable Care Act's reforms to the individual insurance market and tax subsidies to make such coverage more affordable. It includes people in ACA-compliant plans sold both inside and outside the federal and state marketplaces, as well as those still in non-compliant plans, which took effect prior to…

  • What Do We Know About Health Care Access and Quality in Medicare Advantage Versus the Traditional Medicare Program?

    Report

    As the number of Medicare Advantage enrollees continues to climb, there is growing interest in understanding how the care provided to Medicare beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans differs from the care received by beneficiaries in traditional Medicare. This literature review of more than 40 studies synthesizes the evidence to date comparing access and quality for beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage plans and traditional Medicare.

  • Visualizing Health Policy: Recent Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance

    Other Post

    This Visualizing Health Policy infographic takes a look at recent trends in employer-sponsored insurance, including average premium increases for workers with family coverage, the average yearly cost of premiums for single and family coverage and how those costs have increased in the past decade, along with the prevalence of health promotion programs (such as wellness programs) offered by large firms. It also looks at differences in premium and worker contributions at firms with many lower-wage…

  • How Do Quality and Access Compare In Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare?

    News Release

    Today a record three in 10 Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in Medicare Advantage health plans, mainly HMOs and PPOs, which are paid by the government to provide Medicare benefits to their enrollees. Given the projected rise in Medicare Advantage enrollment, an important question for both consumers and policymakers is how quality and access to care compares for beneficiaries in traditional Medicare versus Medicare Advantage plans. To try to answer this question, the Kaiser Family Foundation…

  • Visualizing Health Policy: Recent Trends in Employer-Sponsored Insurance

    News Release

    This Visualizing Health Policy takes a look at recent trends in employer-sponsored insurance, including average premium increases for workers with family coverage, the average yearly cost of premiums for single and family coverage and how those costs have increased in the past decade, along with the prevalence of health promotion programs (such as wellness programs) offered by large firms. It also looks at differences in premium and worker contributions at firms with many lower-wage workers…

  • Why Data on Health-Care Price Variation Doesn’t Itself Solve the Problem

    News Release

    In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal's Think Tank, Drew Altman discusses a new Blue Cross Blue Shield Association report on “extreme price variation” in health care services and the limits of consumer information as a solution to the problem. All previous columns by Drew Altman are available online.