March 25, 2013
Both houses of Congress passed budgets late last week, setting up the next phase of the ongoing debate over healthcare spending.
Healthcare spending totaled $2.7 trillion in 2011 and accounted for 17.9% of the nation's gross domestic product, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Health outlays rose by 3.9% in 2011, which was identical to the increases seen in both 2010 and 2009.
Consumer healthcare spending is expected to grow at a relatively modest rate between now and 2014, due largely to the struggling economy, a federal report predicts.
Long-term care saw a significant jump in merger, acquisition and takeover activity in 2011, according to a new report.
The Bipartisan Policy Center released a debt reduction proposal that includes several healthcare-related spending cuts.
By 2012, taxpayers will be footing the bill for 50% of all healthcare spending in the U.S., a new government report suggests.
