Where do your employees concentrate their FSA contributions?

Non-covered prescription drugs represent 43% of most employees’ out-of-pocket medical expenses, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study. Other top expenses:

• physician office visit copays and non-covered services (26%)
• dental care (17%), and
• vision services (9%).

In total, about 35% of employees’ total medical expenses per year are now paid out of pocket.

Employees in the top 20% for out-of-pocket costs cause 80% of the total medical claims at most organizations, the study finds. The top 5% alone account for nearly half (49%) of all medical costs.

Per person, the high-risk group of employees spends $7,000 per year; a figure expected to climb to $12,000  by 2015.