2.3 million Ohioans spending more than 10 percent of income on health costs, study finds

A new study commissioned by consumer advocacy group Families USA has found that almost 2.3 million people in Ohio spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on medical care (Source: “More than 10 percent of income goes toward health care for 2.3 million Ohioans,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 5, 2009).

Between 2000 and the end 2009, the number of people in Ohio spending more than 10 percent of their pre-tax income on health care will have increased by 450,000, or 24.6 percent, according to the report. The study found that 2.28 million people under age 65 are in families that will spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax family income on health care in 2009, and 86.4 percent of those families have insurance. In addition, there are 615,000 Ohioans in families that will spend more than 25 percent of their pre-tax income on health care in 2009.

Nationwide, 64.4 million people under age 65 are in families that will spend more than 10 percent of their pre-tax family income on health care in 2009, and 82.6 percent of those people are insured-an increase of 22.7 million such people since 2000, the report concluded.