We used data for 2014–15 from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey to estimate standardized payments for nonelderly adults’ physician office visits by type of insurance. Adults with public insurance, especially Medicaid, had substantially lower provider payments, out-of-pocket spending, and third-party payments than their peers with employer-sponsored or Marketplace insurance. Quantifying public-private payment differences can help clarify choices for financing health care among low-income Americans.
