K-12 Tax & Spending Climate: Health care spending in Wisconsin 6% above average

Guy Boulton:

Health care spending in Wisconsin averaged $7,233 for each person - or almost $29,000 for a family of four - in 2009, according to a report released last week.

The amount was 6% higher than the national average of $6,815.

Wisconsin, which spent an estimated $40.9 billion on health care in 2009, ranked 35th in the country in per-capita spending, according to the report by researchers at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Thirty-four states spent less.

The study shows the wide variation in health care spending from state to state. The variation stems largely from demographics, such as the average age of the population, and the percent of the population with health insurance.

States with higher incomes and higher cost of living also tended to spend more on health care.

Utah, with a young population and healthy lifestyle, spent an average of $5,031 per person on health care, or 26% less than the national average. In contrast, Massachusetts, with higher incomes and nearly universal insurance coverage, spent an average of $9,278, or 36% more than the national average.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 25, 2011 1:21 AM
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