National healthcare spending slowed down in 2017
National healthcare spending grew at a rate of 3.9 percent to $3.5 trillion in 2017, according to a prepared statement from CMS. That number is down from 2016, when spending grew 4.8 percent.
Healthcare spending is also growing at a slower rate than the overall economy, which grew at a rate of 4.2 percent in 2017.
According to the report, spending slowed down in 2017 for three significant goods and services categories: hospital spending, physician and clinical services spending and retail prescription drug spending.
Private health insurance, Medicaid and out-of-pocket spending also slowed down that year, though Medicare spending was approximately the same.
The report can be read ahead of print on the Health Affairs website. When the full 2017 National Health Expenditures data is published, it will be available here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.