Older adults make up a disproportionate amount of annual healthcare spending

Despite making up only 31% of the American population, adults aged 55+ account for a majority of overall healthcare expenditures. At face value, this makes sense. Health spending often increases with age. However, the KFF Health Systems analysis also underscores that a small portion (~5%) of the population—largely in the 55+ group—account for nearly half of all the spending themselves. These findings emphasize the need to keep prioritizing preventive care as patients age, as severely declining health and increased spending are not a foregone conclusion.