Health Care's Big Spenders

In any given year, a small proportion of Americans spend big on health care. The big spenders are those unfortunate enough to have a heart attack, car accident, serious illness, costly chronic condition, or some other health catastrophe.

According to data collected by the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the top 5 percent of health care spenders in 2010 accounted for half the $1.263 trillion spent by the nation on health care. The top 50 percent of spenders accounted for 97 percent of 2010 health care spending.

Source: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Differentials in the Concentration in the Level of Health Expenditures across Population Subgroups in the U.S., 2010