Health
Medical Care Expenses


Medical Care Expenses

What does this measure?

Total Medical Expenses (TME) measures all spending on medical care paid to health care providers, per patient per month.

Why is this important?

Medical spending is a major component of total health care spending, which is a growing part of the national and local economy. This fuels increased employment in this sector but can also crowd out spending for other priorities, from education to infrastructure to the environment.

How is our county doing?

Medical spending in Essex was $524 per member, per month in 2017, slightly higher than 2016 and below a statewide medical spending of $610.

Spending levels were highest in the towns of Boxford ($1,056), Hamilton ($931) and Danvers ($840) and lowest in the towns of Essex ($439) and Wenham ($449) and the City of Lawrence ($366).

How do we compare to similar counties?

Medical spending in Essex was lower than Middlesex County ($627 per member per month). Comparable data was not available for Lake, IL and Westchester, NY.

Notes about the data

Figures are in constant 2017 dollars. Earlier and later years were not available. Data is collected from commercial and public payers for commercial full claims, commercial partial claims, Medicaid and Commonwealth Care Managed Care Organizations (MCO), and Medicare Advantage health insurance categories.

Medical Care Expenses
20132014201520162017
Massachusetts$449$455$590$611$610
Essex County, MA$466$468$528$516$524
Andover$455$454$470$474$476
Boxford$445$474$1,216$1,069$1,056
Danvers$470$480$1,226$832$840
Essex$545$464$439$442$439
Georgetown$464$470$426$448$506
Groveland$434$414$409$458$470
Hamilton$409$416$895$1,072$931
Ipswich$449$472$473$496$511
Lynnfield$485$481$514$526$543
Manchester$431$412$413$462$483
Marblehead$453$488$472$456$479
Merrimac$493$458$480$482$492
Middleton$495$498$519$529$527
Nahant$502$593$559$546$600
Newbury$449$421$473$433$507
North Andover$429$427$461$477$493
Rockport$537$484$467$483$462
Rowley$426$437$471$508$493
Salisbury$540$584$578$551$543
Saugus$468$518$519$512$559
Swampscott$510$493$490$545$537
Topsfield$420$456$461$443$467
Wenham$453$414$433$419$449
West Newbury$475$467$441$459$521
Amesbury$488$490$477$472$499
Middlesex County, MA$452$459$593$606$627
Beverly$468$470$479$476$515
Gloucester$493$502$489$494$531
Haverhill$476$469$480$503$490
Lawrence$377$387$380$381$366
Lynn$459$464$492$485$473
Methuen$484$480$484$501$486
Newburyport$461$448$462$483$515
Peabody$498$483$522$520$540
Salem$487$489$473$477$489

Source: Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis
Notes: Figures are in constant 2017 dollars.








INDICATORS TREND | ESSEX COUNTY
People 65 or Older Living Alone Decreasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prevalence of Overweight Adults Not Applicable
Preterm Births Increasing
Infant Mortality Rate Maintaining
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels Decreasing
Children Living in Poverty Increasing
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Disengaged Youth Maintaining
Live Births to Teen Mothers Decreasing
Youth Arrests Decreasing
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments Maintaining
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Employment Maintaining
Tourism Spending Increasing
Voter Participation Rate Increasing
Charitable Contributions Maintaining
Protected Land Not Applicable
Days with Good Air Quality Increasing
Beach Contamination Increasing
Daily Water Use per Resident Decreasing
Crimes Against People Maintaining
Crimes Against Property Decreasing
Drug-Related Arrests Maintaining
Reports of Domestic Violence Increasing
Incarceration Rates Decreasing
Recidivism Decreasing
Households Without Vehicles Decreasing
Means of Transportation to Work Not Applicable
Traffic Injuries and Fatalities Maintaining
Households With Internet Access Not Applicable
Change in Total Population Increasing
Change in Population by Age/Sex Not Applicable
People with Disabilities Maintaining
Households by Type Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Sex Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Foreign-Born Population Increasing
Language Diversity Increasing
Change in Total Jobs Increasing
Change in Jobs by Sector Not Applicable
Change in Average Salary Increasing
Change in Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Average Salary by Sector Not Applicable
Median Earnings by Occupation by Gender Not Applicable
People Entering/Leaving County for Work Not Applicable
Employer Size Not Applicable
Self-Employment Revenue Increasing
Business Ownership by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Prekindergarten Participation Not Applicable
Female Enrollment in School Not Applicable
Chronically Absent Students Increasing
Per-Student Spending Increasing
Bullying Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate Increasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Education Levels of Adults Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Income in Relation to Poverty Level Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income Increasing
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Household Type Not Applicable
Living Wage Rate by Household Type Not Applicable
Access to Financial Services, by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Households Receiving Temporary Assistance Increasing
Households Receiving Federal Food Assistance Increasing
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Earned Income Tax Credit Participation Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students Increasing
Median Home Value Increasing
Cost of Homeownership Increasing
Cost of Renting Increasing
Homeownership Rates Maintaining
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeless Persons Maintaining
People Without Health Insurance Decreasing
Medical Care Expenses Increasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma Maintaining
Prevalence of Overweight Children Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence Decreasing
Chronic Disease Among Older Adults Increasing
Cancer Incidence Decreasing
Cancer Mortality Rate Decreasing
Heart Disease Mortality Rate Decreasing
Mortality Rate Decreasing
People who Smoke Not Applicable
Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Youth Use of Illegal Drugs Not Applicable
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions Not Applicable
Drug Overdose Mortality Rate Increasing
Prevalence of Mental Illness Maintaining
Suicide Rate Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 3 Reading Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math by Student Group Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 English Language Arts Not Applicable
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math Not Applicable
High School Cohort Graduation Rate by Student Group Not Applicable
Bachelor's Degree or Higher by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
People Living in Poverty by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Median Household Income by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Participation in Food Assistance by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable
Homeownership Rates by Race/Ethnicity Not Applicable