NHE: Healthcare spending was on the rise in 2019, though the increase was stable Health spending increased at a slightly faster rate than gross domestic product, but the report analyzed figures prior to the pandemic.
, Associate Editor
Total healthcare spending in 2019 went up $3.8 trillion in 2019, a relatively stable increase of 4.6% compared to 2018, which saw a 4.7% increase, according to the 2019 National Health Expenditures report, released today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Office of the Actuary.
The estimates only take into account trends through the end of 2019 and don t factor in the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is still surging throughout the country despite the U.S. embarking on vaccine distribution efforts.