UAB Synopsis, Vol. 24, No. 3, January 31, 2005
A government report in the January issue of Health Affairs finds that while health-care costs grew more slowly in 2003 than during the previous 7 years, 2003's $1.7 trillion health-care price tag for the first time "topped 15%" of the gross domestic product. Overall health-care spending grew 7.7% in 2003, compared with 9.3% in 2002. The report attributes the decline to "state cutbacks in the Medicaid program and a slower increase in drug spending."
Health Care Advisory Board, January 11, 2005