U.S. Health spending $7681 per capita in 2008

Health spending in the U.S. grew 4.4 percent in 2008 to $2.3 trillion or $7,681 per person in the country, according to a new annual report on national health spending released by the CMS office. 

In 2007, the growth of the national health spending is 6.0 percent.

The health expenditure for the year 2008 accounts for 16.2 percent of the nation's GDP.  This is compared to 15.9 percent for the year 2007.

Below are other statistics on the growth of health care spending in the new report cited from a government press release:

Hospital spending in 2008 grew 4.5 percent to $718.4 billion, compared to 5.9 percent in 2007, the slowest rate of increase since 1998.

Physician and clinical services’ spending increased 5.0 percent in 2008, a deceleration from 5.8 percent in 2007.

Retail prescription drug spending growth also decelerated to 3.2 percent in 2008 as per capita use of prescription medications declined slightly, mainly due to impacts of the recession, a low number of new product introductions, and safety and efficacy concerns.

Spending growth for both nursing home and home health services decelerated in 2008.   For nursing homes, spending grew 4.6 percent in 2008 compared to 5.8 percent in 2007.

Total health care spending by public programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, grew 6.5 percent in 2008, the same rate as in 2007.

Health care spending by private sources of funds grew only 2.6 percent in 2008 compared to 5.6 percent in 2007.

Private health insurance premiums grew 3.1 percent in 2008, a deceleration from 4.4 percent in 2007. 

The complete report is available at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalHealthExpendData/02_NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.asp#TopOfPage