Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pace Of Overall Health Spending Slows As Growth From ACA Coverage Gains Normalizes
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Health Spending Rose At A Slower Pace In 2016
Spending on all health care increased 4.3% in 2016, according to a report Wednesday from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That compares with 5.1% in 2014 and 5.8% in 2015. That is still above the historic lows of 2008 through 2013, when health spending grew at an average 3.8% a year. Much of the slowdown in those years has been linked to less use of medical services during the recession and tepid economic recovery. (Armour, 12/6)
Kaiser Health News: Pace Of U.S. Health Spending Slows In 2016
The analysis from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) showed a shift from the dramatic escalation in health spending that accompanied the coverage gains in 2014 and 2015 as millions of Americans found insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The rate at which spending grew last year was lower across many measures — including figures for Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, prescription drugs and hospitals — than in the previous two years. (Galewitz, 12/6)
The Hill: US Health-Care Spending Hit $3.3 Trillion In 2016
"Basically, we saw two major things happening in 2014 and 2015. We had the enrollment expansion that impacted Medicaid and private health insurance with 10.2 million and 8.7 million people gaining coverage," a CMS official told reporters Wednesday. "In addition, in 2014 and 2015 we saw strong and rapid spending growth in retail prescription drugs," the official added. (Hellmann, 12/6)
The Washington Post: Out-Of-Pocket Health Spending In 2016 Increased At The Fastest Rate In A Decade
U.S. health care spending increased to $3.3 trillion in 2016, with out-of-pocket health care costs borne directly by consumers rising 3.9 percent — the fastest rate of growth since 2007. The findings, published Wednesday by Health Affairs, are considered the authoritative breakdown of American health care spending and are prepared each year by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Johnson, 12/6)
Modern Healthcare: CMS: Hospital, Doc Services Demand Slipped In 2016
Demand for hospital and physician services waned slightly in 2016 following intense demand in the prior year, according to a new government report released Wednesday. Spending for hospital services hit $1.1 trillion, an increase of 4.7% in 2016. However, that was slower than the rate of 5.6% between 2014 and 2015. Spending on physician and clinical services grew 5.4% to hit $664.9 billion, which was down from a prior growth rate of 6.3%, according to the analysis by CMS Actuary Micah Hartman. (Dickson, 12/6)
