AXIOS December 5, 2019
Americans spent $3.65 trillion on health care in 2018 — 4.6% more than the year before. That growth also was higher than the 4.2% rate from 2017, according to revised figures from independent federal actuaries.
Between the lines: U.S. health care spending climbed again not because people went to the doctor or hospital more frequently, but because the industry charged higher prices. And private health insurers didn’t do a particularly good job negotiating lower rates.
By the numbers: The 4.6% growth rate in 2018 was revised up slightly from preliminary numbers released in February, and it came in below the broader economic growth rate.
- All other figures on what Americans spent on hospitals, doctors and...
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