Engaging Consumers as Partners in Reducing Health Care Spending
Typically, consumers pay for health care in four different ways, two of which are largely hidden from view. Consumers are generally aware of how much they pay out of pocket, and most keep track of the price of their monthly insurance premium. But they are less likely to consider the income they forego to support their employer's tax-advantaged contribution to their health insurance or the amount of state and federal taxes (roughly 20 percent) they pay to support government-funded health programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Veterans Health Administration, and federal and state public health activities.