Women Pay 15B More Than Men For Healthcare

Women make 80% of healthcare decisions. 

Across many households, 59% of women are healthcare decision-makers for other people regardless of marital status or whether they have children. Nearly 80% of mothers are responsible for selecting their children’s healthcare providers, compared with 22% of fathers.

Yet, the “pink tax” – added costs on everyday items (everything from razors and deodorant to feminine hygiene products and toys) means women pay more for many goods and services. 

Two new reports show that women pay more out of pocket for healthcare than men. When it comes to breast cancer, the extra expenses are causing such a significant burden that it may cost them their health.

According to the latest research from Deloitte, women in the U.S. with health insurance through their jobs pay about $15.4 billion more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men with similar insurance, not including premium costs.

A new report, “Hiding in plain sight: The health care gender toll,” revealed that women spend $15.4 billion more than men in out-of-pocket healthcare costs yearly, based on deductibles, co-insurance, and out-of-pocket maximums. 

While the Deloitte report finds that women go to the doctor and use their benefits more than men do, with women having 10% more health expenditures, their out-of-pocket expenses are still 18% higher, even after removing the high cost of maternity care. It is 20% higher with maternity costs.

This discrepancy in healthcare costs held for women in every age group from 19 to 64.

On average, female employees with individual insurance paid nearly 20% more than men — or approximately $266 more per year out-of-pocket. This figure excludes pregnancy-related costs, which can average $2,900 out-of-pocket. Overall, maternity care accounted for less than two percentage points of the gap in spending between men and women.

A separate report published by the Susan G. Komen organization finds the high cost of breast cancer treatment is a significant burden for patients, so much so that it may be hurting the success of their treatment.

Research has shown that breast cancer has the highest treatment cost of any cancer, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the out-of-pocket costs for cancer are high, with bills averaging $2,900 just for the first month of diagnosis alone, according to a 2020 study. 

It’s an expense many patients can’t afford. The report said they must dip into their savings, borrow money, or put bills on their credit cards (if they have those options available).

According to KFF, 50% of women have put off the healthcare they needed, and 40% have skipped a recommended medical test or treatment because of cost, compared with 35% and 26% of men, respectively.

Bottom line: This means women must take control of their financial lives, scrutinizing and arguing medical bills, learning their health insurance benefits, and cutting unnecessary expenses to build up an emergency fund for living expenses and to pay off existing medical debt.

LASO Health Can Help You Save on Healthcare

LASO Health is an excellent option if you are looking for a convenient, affordable, high-quality, accessible healthcare solution. LASO Health offers transparent upfront pricing, membership-based telemedicine services, prescription savings, and health advocacy to help you reduce medical expenses with no surprise bills.

LASO partners with the Walmart Health Virtual Care network to offer convenient access to a board-certified network of healthcare providers that can provide you with the care you need at an affordable, set price – no insurance necessary.

And because we know one of the most expensive parts of healthcare is prescriptions, LASO offers RX Zero.  LASO Rx Zero provides access to 600 of the most prescribed generic medications at no cost, delivered free, for less than a $20 monthly membership fee.

Our user-friendly bilingual platform makes accessing these features and managing your healthcare needs easy. Give LASO Health a try – it’s free to download and can help you save on medical costs on your first visit.

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