Oregon families are feeling the sting at the doctor’s office. A new WalletHub analysis released this week finds Alaskans, Oregonians and Mainers are handing over some of the largest chunks of their household income just to cover routine medical care. Regular appointments and everyday medicines are eating into paychecks in a way experts say is nudging some people to delay or even skip care they actually need.
According to WalletHub, Alaska tops the list at about 10.08% of median monthly household income, with Oregon at 9.32% and Maine close behind at 9.30%. To build the ranking, WalletHub added up the costs of five routine basics — doctor, dentist and optometrist visits plus the prices of ibuprofen and Lipitor — and compared that total to each state’s median monthly household income. The result is a snapshot of how much basic health care expenses carve out of an average household’s monthly take-home pay.
National trend: out-of-pocket costs rise
National numbers point in the same direction. KFF reports that per-person out-of-pocket spending hit $1,514 in 2023, noticeably higher than it was two decades ago. In the WalletHub report, analyst Chip Lupo notes that “sharp increases in health care costs in recent years have made it difficult for some people to seek essential care,” a line used to explain why such ordinary services now come with increasingly serious financial side effects for households.
What it means in Oregon
As reported by FOX 10 Phoenix, Oregon’s lofty ranking is driven in large part by pricey doctor and optometrist visits, even though household incomes in parts of the state are relatively strong. That combination of higher service prices and only middling incomes in some areas helps explain why Oregonians devote a larger share of their monthly paychecks to routine health needs than residents in many other states.
For anyone bracing for the next round of medical bills, the study doubles as a nudge to look closely at plan benefits, lean on preventive services and generics when they make sense, consider telehealth or an HSA if that is a fit, and ask providers directly about lower-cost options. If charges are stacking up, local consumer assistance programs and state resources can sometimes step in to help negotiate costs or identify subsidies for prescriptions.
