Patients are paying more out-of-pocket for hospital care, while access to credit that could help pay for treatment has tightened for some consumers, according to a new analysis from TransUnion.

TransUnion’s healthcare unit analyzed anonymous data from 200 hospitals across the country and compared it with the company’s proprietary financial data, and found that the amount patients paid for common hospital services jumped 22 percent in just a year.

The hospitals reported on procedures like delivery of a baby; surgical delivery by cesarean section; and joint replacement surgery.

The average payment responsibility for crucial medical procedures grew to $2,042 at the end of 2012 from $1,676 at the end of 2011. The cost included all of a patient’s contributions, including co-payments, co-insurance and deductibles. The average deductible increased to $1,032 from $405, while average co-pays increased to $117 from $65.

Meanwhile, over the same period, credit available to the average consumer through credit cards, store cards and home equity loans was flat, declining slightly to $34,301 from $34,430. At the end of 2011, for every $100 in health care costs, consumers had $2,050 in revolving credit to make their health care payments. But at the end of 2012, the ratio dropped to 16.1 to 1, or $1,680 in available credit for every $100 of health costs, TransUnion found.

Those with top-tier credit scores actually saw their access to revolving credit increase, but subprime borrowers, with the riskiest credit profiles, saw it drop.

That raises the concern that consumers may struggle to find the means to pay for hospital care, as health costs eat up more of patients’ disposable income, said Milton Silva-Craig, president of TransUnion Healthcare.

So far, he said, it appears consumers are managing the squeeze, in part because average revolving credit balances have declined overall, as consumers have reduced debt after the recession. But as more health costs are shifted to consumers, he said, they may have difficulty managing competing demands for their disposable income.

So what can patients do about this? They can try, he said, to seek clear information from hospitals before getting treatment for scheduled procedures, to get an understanding of what their share of the treatment will be, to avoid surprises and plan appropriately for the cost. They can also expect more hospitals to pre-register patients and even request payments in advance, as they try to avoid uncompensated care.

If your portion of the treatment is beyond your means, you can ask if the hospital has funds to assist patients with financial need, and whether you qualify. Most not-for-profit hospitals, he said, have funds set aside for financial assistance based on need.

Do you rely on credit to cover major medical expenses? Have you had difficulty paying for treatment?