The health insurance system in the US may seem complex to an outsider. You have several providers, both public and private, and various plans that include different types of health services and interventions. Health insurance in the USA is not cheap. In fact, it is the most expensive in the world, by far. The average price of health insurance plans is almost twice as much as the 2nd country in the list, which is Hong Kong. This is partly because the costs of health care per capita are also very high in our country, and they have been rising constantly, in line with the global trend in this area.
In this context, about 1 in 10 Americans cannot afford medical insurance or does not want to pay for it. That figure does not take into account the vulnerable categories covered by Medicaid and Medicare, which account for about 35% of the population, according to data from KFF. So there is a considerable number of Americans who are choosing not to have insurance, and pay every health service out of their pocket, if they should need it. Sadly, this often comes at higher costs than for those who have insurance. But it seems to be a rational choice for some, as you can learn from some of these person’s stories.
New Jersey health insurance and expenditure stats
We wanted to have a look at some of the stats for our home state of New Jersey, to see where we stand, compared to other areas of the United States. For this research, we used data generated by kff.org, which we found to be insightful.
First conclusion on studying health data is that New Jersey is almost always slightly above average (in the right direction) in most health indicators.
In terms of health spending per capita, we’re spending about 10% more than the average, at about $8800 / year / capita. We are nowhere near the top 10 states in terms of health spending. Furthermore, we’re looking at similar data for hospital adjusted expenses per inpatient day, where New Jersey is very close to the national average. Yet we are in the top 10 for private health insurance spending per capita, which is significantly above average.
In terms of medical insurance, there are 103 HMOs available in the state, which is again slightly more than average. Only 8% of the population is uninsured, less than the national average, and 56% of residents are covered by their employers, which places New Jersey in joint 6th place nation wide. This is a good sign of a thriving economy and shows we are a region that is less dependent on state provided health plans. Only 30% of the population is covered by Medicaid and Medicare. 51% of firms offer coverage for their employees.
Other health stats for New jersey
The general level of health in New Jersey is good, about 82% of adults reporting to be in good health. Life expectancy is over 80 years of age. Alcohol and drugs dependency are way below the national average. Obesity and cardiovascular disease prevalence are closer to the national average, but still nowhere near the top 10 states.
Unfortunately, New Jersey has one of the highest incidence of invasive cancer at 479.5 cases per 100.000 inhabitants. That is a stat that could be well worth some extra research.
Last but not least, New Jersey benefits from one of the largest networks of urgent care centers in the country, offering residents the possibility to choose from over 200 such clinics. Agile Urgent Care prides itself to be one of the best reviewed centers in New Jersey and is happy to offer its services to all those who decide to walk in. With affordable rates and long hours, we are happy to assist you.
