Total healthcare spending in the
U.S. rose last year by $134 billion, the largest one-year increase
since the government began keeping records of expenditures.
According to figures reported by the Center for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, or CMS, healthcare spending in 2009 was just shy of
2.5 trillion, or 17.3% of the nation’s gross domestic product.
CMS projected that, at current rate of growth in spending, the
government could shoulder one-half of healthcare spending as soon as
next year. Increases in spending by the Medicare and Medicaid programs
were largely responsible for the increase, especially that contributed
by Federal and state governments. Some states have used Federal
stimulus funds to pay for a portion of their Medicaid programs. A rise
in unemployment has pushed more Americans onto Medicaid rolls.
Federal
and state Medicaid expenditures rose nearly 10% over 2008 figures,
while Medicaid spending increased more than 8%.
The CMS report pointed out that healthcare costs increased even as
fewer Americans had health insurance coverage, indicating possible
inefficiencies in delivery of healthcare services.