U.S. Health Spending Rises 9.3%

NU Online News Service, Jan. 9, 2004, 1:29 p.m. EST — Washington Health care spending in the United States is growing at an accelerated rate and rose to $1.6 trillion in 2002, says a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.[@@]

The report, produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an HHS agency, says health care spending grew at a 9.3% rate in 2002, the last year for which figures are available, compared with a rate of 8.5% in 2001.

This marks the sixth consecutive year in which health care spending grew at an accelerated rate, the report says.