Spending on health care grows at the slowest pace in 7 years

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- A slowdown in spending by government health programs caused U.S. health care outlays to grow at the slowest pace in seven years in 2003, according to a report from government economists released today.

Even with the slower pace, such spending rose by 7.7 percent -- down from 9.3 percent in 2002 -- and the nation's total health tab reached $1.7 trillion, according to the report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

That translates to $5,670 in health spending for every person in the country, an increase of $353 over 2002's average.

The findings are published in the January-February issue of the journal Health Affairs.

Economists noted that the growth rate in spending for Medicaid, now the country's biggest public health insurance system, fell by nearly half to 6.9 percent in 2003, largely as a result of state budget shortfalls. And Medicare's spending growth also tailed off, as laws that provided extra payments to hospitals and other health providers expired.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/207353_health11.html

[FlaGranny]

1. $5,670 per person?

That blows me away. I wonder how that compares to the per person expenses in other countries.

[havocmom]

2. Doubt people suddenly got healthier or costs fell much. More like layoffs

and lack of medical coverage would just keep people from getting care.

Poverty has a way of cutting WAY down on $$ spent for medical care.

See, by making more people poor, the junta is solving the medical cost problem! And by assuring the poor get little care, they will die off sooner, solving the poverty problem! </sarcasm>