The article discusses household spending on outpatient care in the years 1998–2010 based on data from CSO. Household consumer preferences are shown related to economic factors, defined by disposal income, and non-economic. In this group, health and socio-occupational and demographic determinants were the most important. The analysis of expenditure on outpatient health care is shown in the background of the legal and organizational changes in the healthcare system, that had implications for their amount.