Slower Medicaid & Drug-Spending Growth Part Of Health Spending Slowdown

Spending on health care grew at a slower rate in 2017 than in 2016 in part because Medicaid spending slowed due to the lull in Medicaid expansions and drug spending growth slacked off following the spike in spending to treat hepatitis C, according to the CMS actuary’s office. However, the slowdown in health care spending was broadly based, with spending on most medical goods and services slower in 2017 than the previous year. National health spending grew 3.9 percent in...