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New Trend Likely in Personal Health Care Costs

The last four years have seen a consistent decline in personal spending on health care. But given economic trends and a general downturn in health status, the spending picture isn't going to continue looking up. That's the conclusion of a recent study, Don't Break Out the Champagne: Continued Slowing of Health Care Spending Growth Unlikely to Last, published in Health Affairs (Vol. 27, No. 1, Jan.-Feb . 2008).

The study's look at local health care markets suggests that critical spending factors include provider capacity issues and incentives to increase the amount of care.  Obesity's rising prevalence is also a significant factor in accelerating health care spending.

Click here to access the complete study through the website of The Center for Studying Health System Change.