Health care factoids
The California Health Care Foundation has published its annual Health Care Costs 101 report, providing a wealth of data on cost trends, cost drivers and health care funding sources. Here are a few highlights.
1. Health care costs in the US topped $2 trillion in 2005, over $6500 per person.
2. Hospital care accounted for 30% of the total, and physician and clinical services 21%.
3. The cost of drugs has gone from $20 per person in 1984 to $188 in 2004.
4. Governments fund 39%of health care spending with 22% from the feds and 17% state and local.
5. The overall health care inflation rate in 2004 was 7.9% . This marks the 24th consecutive year health care inflation has exceeded the overall inflation rate.
And the kicker - in 2015, health care costs will comprise 20% of US GDP.
Comments
Is the 20 dollars to 188 dollars adjusted for inflation, or is it not?
Posted by: gmm | May 23, 2006 1:03 AM
I am nearing a publishing deadline for a book I am writing titled "Sourcing and recruiting Manual for Hospitals". Publication is scheduled 2/06.
I came across your factoids and would like to include some of them in my book, with your credit included, of course. Do you have anything specific to the nursing shortage, recruiting costs, helathcare trends etc. that you would like to see get a wider distribution?
Look forward to hearing from you.
Merry Christmas and kindest regards,
MIKE
Posted by: Mike Rink | December 22, 2006 12:39 PM