Overall spending on healthcare in the United States grew at historically low rates in 2009 and 2010, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Healthcare spending grew 3.9% in 2010, reaching $2.6 trillion, which was 0.1 % more than in 2009.
Medicare spending grew at a decelerated rate in 2010 at 5%, down two percentage points from 2009. Medicaid, which pays for a majority of nursing home care, saw a growth of 7.2% in 2010, compared to an 8.9% growth in 2009.
While CMS attributed the lower healthcare costs to the Affordable Care Act, other analysts said it’s due to less use of healthcare services stemming from high unemployment.
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