Medical Economics January 14, 2026
Key Takeaways
- U.S. health care spending in 2024 was $5.3 trillion, 18% of GDP, with a 7.2% increase from 2023.
- Physician and clinical services accounted for $1.1 trillion, 21% of total health care spending.
- Medicaid coverage declined due to eligibility redeterminations, but spending per enrollee increased significantly.
- CMS used U.S. Census Bureau data for a comprehensive revision of past health care expenditure estimates.
CMS tallies annual expenditures that include $1.1 trillion for physician and clinical services.
Physician and clinical services reached $1.1 trillion in 2024, or 21% of that year’s total spending of $5.3 trillion toward health care.
The 2024 national health expenditure (NHE) tally was published in Health Affairs, with Executive Editor and Interim Editor-in-Chief Donald E....
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