Patterns of childhood medical spending
T. R. Miller, D. C. Lestina and M. S. Galbraith
National Public Services Research Institute, Landover, MD, USA.
OBJECTIVE: To provide data on childhood medical spending. METHODS: This
article is based on data released in 1991 through 1993 from the 1987
National Medical Expenditure Survey. The data were analyzed for 14
diagnostic categories. They excluded spending on nursing home and dental
care. We inflated the National Medical Expenditure Survey expenditures to
December 1993 dollars by means of annual medical spending per capita as a
price index. RESULTS: Medical spending on children aged 0 to 21 years
totaled $86 billion per year, 15% of all US medical care spending. The
largest source of child medical spending was on live birth and pregnancy,
at $19 billion, followed by injury, at $12 billion, and respiratory
conditions, at $10 billion. Live birth and pregnancy were the largest
contributor of hospital inpatient spending for children 0 to 21 years old.
Injury accounted for more than half of the spending in emergency
departments. One quarter of prescription spending was the result of
respiratory conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood medical spending for the
three largest categories can be reduced through proved preventive measures.
These analyses also show that prevention priorities differ by age group.
