(Reuters Health)—The U.S. spends about twice what other high-income nations do on healthcare, but has the lowest life expectancy and the highest infant mortality rates, a new study suggests. More doctor visits and hospital stays aren’t the problem. Americans use roughly the same amount of health services as people in other affluent nations, the study…
U.S. Health Agency Estimates 2015 Prescription Drug Spending Rose to $457 Billion
NEW YORK (Reuters)—Spending on prescription drugs is projected to have risen to $457 billion in 2015 and will likely continue to grow as a percentage of overall healthcare spending, a U.S. government health agency said on Tuesday. That is an increase of about 8% from 2014’s prescription drug spending, which is also an estimated figure,…
U.S. Public Health Funding on the Decline
(Reuters Health)—U.S. public health funding, which covers such things as disease prevention, cancer screenings, contraceptives and vaccines, has been steadily falling in recent years and is expected to keep going down, a recent study projects. Real, inflation-adjusted public health expenditures surged from $39 per capita in 1960 to $281 per capita in 2008, then fell…
U.S. Predicts 5.8% Average Rise in Healthcare Spending Through 2024
NEW YORK (Reuters)—The U.S. government expects healthcare spending to increase by 5.8% annually on average from 2014 through 2024 as more Americans gain insurance coverage and the improved economy drives patients to visit doctors and hospitals. The aging population’s higher healthcare costs will also push health spending higher starting in 2019, according to a study…
Rheumatologists May Not Benefit from Hike in Healthcare Spending
Experts predict specialists treating chronic conditions may become cost-cutting targets