Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Driven By ACA, Health Spending Sees Fastest Growth Since Recession
The New York Times: U.S. Health Spending In 2015 Averaged Nearly $10,000 Per Person
Total spending on health care in the United States increased last year at the fastest rate since the 2008 recession, reaching $3.2 trillion, or an average of nearly $10,000 a person, the Department of Health and Human Services reported on Friday. The growth coincided with continuing increases in the number of Americans with insurance coverage, through private health plans or Medicaid. (Pear, 12/2)
The Associated Press: US Health Care Tab Hits $3.2T; Fastest Growth In 8 Years
The nation's health care tab grew at the fastest rate in eight years in 2015, driven by the coverage expansion in President Barack Obama's law and by costly prescription drugs, the government said Friday. The growth of 5.8 percent in 2015 boosted total health care spending to $3.2 trillion. That's an average of $9,990 per person, although the vast share of that money is spent caring for the sickest patients. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/2)
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Health Spending Rose Faster Than Expected In 2015
The current data suggest the pace of spending did begin to pick up again after the economy rebounded, with prescription drug price growth and an aging baby boom generation contributing to the acceleration. Growth in prescription drug spending was faster than that of any other service in 2015, CMS said. Spending on physician and clinical services grew at a rate of 6.3%, the first time in a decade the figure had topped 6%. (Radnofsky, 12/2)
Los Angeles Times: Health Spending Went Up Last Year Because More People Were Getting Care, Report Says
While such surges in health spending have traditionally worried economists and policymakers, the 2015 increase is somewhat different, the new report from independent actuaries at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests. In the past, mounting prices for hospital stays, doctor’s visits and other medical goods and services were largely responsible for skyrocketing health spending.But the new report indicates that the latest increase – which tracks with a similar uptick in 2014 – was fueled by increased use of healthcare, likely caused by the health law, often called Obamacare. (Levey, 12/2)
Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Spending Hits $3.2 Trillion In 2015
Healthcare spending in 2015 increased at a rate of 5.8%, the fastest in eight years, as more people obtained health insurance and prescription drug costs continued to rise, according to a CMS report published Friday by Health Affairs. For the first time, the federal government accounted for the largest share of healthcare spending at 29%, mainly because of Medicaid expansion. Household spending made up 28%, private businesses were 20% and state and local governments were 17%. Federal government spending grew at a rate of 8.9% in 2015 after an 11% increase in 2014. The 2015 increase follows a 5.3% spending increase in 2014, which came after five years of historically slow growth. National healthcare expenditures represented nearly 18% of the GDP in 2015. (Muchmore, 12/2)
Boston Globe: US Health Spending Rises At Fastest Rate In Eight Years, Federal Study Says
Health care spending accelerated nationally last year as more Americans got insurance and received medical care, according to a new federal study that could become ammunition in the upcoming fight over President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to scrap the Affordable Care Act. The United States spent $3.2 trillion on health care in 2015, a 5.8 percent increase over 2014, and the highest rate in eight years, the study released Friday said. Spending rose 5.3 percent in 2014. (Dayal McCluskey, 12/2)
The Fiscal Times: Health Care Spending Spiked To $3.2 Trillion In 2015
The pace of U.S. health care spending picked up slightly last year, reaching a total of $3.2 trillion or $9,990 per person in the country. While a number of factors were at play, the increase was largely due to expanded coverage of individuals who signed up for Obamacare or who took advantage of a major expansion of Medicaid, according to a new study released on Friday. (Pianin, 12/4)
McClatchy: Obama’s Health Care Law Is Behind 2nd Straight Year Of Faster Rise In Medical Spending
Public and private spending for U.S. health care increased to $3.2 trillion in 2015 or nearly $10,000 per person, according to a government report released Friday. The 5.8 percent spending increase last year is up from a 5.3-percent hike in 2014. Both increases followed five straight years of historically slower growth from 2009 to 2013. Credit the Affordable Care Act for the faster health care spending growth the last two years. (Pugh, 12/2)
Morning Consult: National Health Care Spending Grew In 2015, Data Shows
Health care spending was slightly higher in 2015 than it was in 2014, an increase that researchers attribute to the newly insured under Obamacare using more medical services. National health care spending rose 5.8 percent last year, reaching $3.2 trillion, according to new Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services figures published Friday in Health Affairs. (McIntire, 12/2)
