CMS economists forecast a rise in spending
This article was originally published in The Gray Sheet
Executive Summary
National health spending is expected to exceed $4 tril. by 2015, accounting for 20% of the gross domestic product, compared with 16% in 2004, economists and actuaries at CMS' National Health Statistics Group predict in Health Affairs Feb. 22. Spending is expected to grow at an average rate of 7.2% for the next 10 years. The federal forecasters anticipate that spending growth will surpass average annual GDP growth by 2.1% during that timeframe. The authors note that "such forces as the onset of Medicare Part D, the aging of our society, and the expensive (and unpredictable) nature of new technologies" will have a significant impact on the healthcare system in the next decade...