Thanks to lower-than-anticipated spending for Medicare, national health expenses will grow more slowly in the coming decade than previously thought. Still, the nation's health care bill is expected to double to nearly $2.2 trillion by 2008.$2.2 trillion by 2008.
The Health Care Financing Administration predicts that Medicare spending will rise only 4.5 percent from 1997 to 2000, in comparison to its previous 5.1-percent forecast. The feds credit the improvement to their antifraud campaign and to the Balanced Budget Act.
Private-sector spending is expected to grow more quickly — 7.3 percent, up from last year's prediction of 6.7 percent. Insurance premiums and prescription-drug costs were cited.
See chart: Health expenses rise, but more gently
Paul Lendner ist ein praktizierender Experte im Bereich Gesundheit, Medizin und Fitness. Er schreibt bereits seit über 5 Jahren für das Managed Care Mag. Mit seinen Artikeln, die einen einzigartigen Expertenstatus nachweisen, liefert er unseren Lesern nicht nur Mehrwert, sondern auch Hilfestellung bei ihren Problemen.