Accurate, Focused Research on Law, Technology and Knowledge Discovery Since 2002

National Health Spending In 2012 Marks Fourth Year of Low Growth

“In 2012 U.S. health care spending increased 3.7 percent to reach $2.8 trillion, or $8,915 per person, the fourth consecutive year of slow growth. The share of the economy devoted to health spending decreased from 17.3 percent in 2011 to 17.2 percent in 2012, as the Gross Domestic Product increased nearly one percentage point faster than health care spending at 4.6 percent.

Health Spending by Type of Service or Product: Personal Health Care

  • Hospital Care: Hospital spending increased 4.9 percent to $882.3 billion in 2012 compared to 3.5-percent growth in 2011. The accelerated growth in 2012 was influenced by growth in both prices and non-price factors (which include the use and intensity of services). Growth in spending from Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance hospital spending all accelerated in 2012 compared to 2011.
  • Physician and Clinical Services: Spending on physician and clinical services increased 4.6  percent in 2012 to $565.0 billion, from 4.1-percent growth in 2011. Although growth in prices slowed slightly in 2012, non-price factors such as the use and intensity of services increased faster in 2012. Growth in spending from private health insurance and Medicare, the two largest payers of physician and clinical services, experienced diverging trends in 2012. Private health insurance spending for physician and clinical services grew at a faster pace, while Medicare spending decelerated slightly in 2012
  • Other Professional Services: Spending for other professional services reached $76.4 billion in 2012, increasing 4.5 percent and about the same rate as in 2011 (4.6 percent) . Spending in this category includes establishments of independent health practitioners (except physicians and dentists) that primarily provide services such as physical therapy, optometry, podiatry, and chiropractic medicine.”

Leave a reply