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This paper examines variations in health spending by children, working-age adults, and seniors for selected years between 1987 and 2004. Seniors spent far more per person than children or working-age adults, but the relative gap between the age groups has not changed much since 1987 except for those age eighty-five and older. Since the inception of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in 1997, the proportion of children's health spending financed by public sources has increased, while the share paid for out of pocket has decreased. The future age-mix is expected to have a major impact on nursing home spending growth while minimally affecting overall Medicare spending growth.

US health care spending increased 4.6 percent to reach $3.8 trillion in 2019, similar to the rate of growth of 4.7 percent in 2018. The share of the economy devoted to health care spending was 17.7 percent in 2019 compared with 17.6 percent in 2018. In 2019 faster growth in spending for hospital care, physician and clinical services, and retail purchases of prescription drugs-which together accounted for 61 percent of total national health spending-was offset mainly by expenditures for the net cost of health insurance, which were lower because of the suspension of the health insurance tax in 2019.

Health care spending in the US grew 4.1 percent to reach $4.5 trillion in 2022, which was still a faster rate of growth than the increase of 3.2 percent in 2021 but was much slower than the rate of 10.6 percent seen in 2020. In 2022, strong Medicaid and private health insurance spending growth, including a turnaround in the net cost of insurance, was somewhat offset by continued declines in federal spending associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. The insured share of the population reached a historic high of 92.0 percent in 2022 as enrollment in private health insurance increased at a faster rate relative to 2021 and Medicaid enrollment continued to experience strong growth. The share of the economy accounted for by the health sector was 17.3 percent in 2022, which was down from a peak of 19.5 percent in 2020 but was more consistent with the average share of 17.5 percent during 2016-19.

This article presents estimates of personal health care spending by age and gender in selected years during the period 2002-10 and an analysis of the variation in spending among children, working-age adults, and the elderly. Our research found that in this period, aggregate spending on children's health care increased at the slowest rate. However, per capita spending for children grew more rapidly than that for working-age adults and the elderly. Per capita spending for the elderly remained about five times higher than spending for children. Overall, females spent more per capita than males, but the gap had decreased by 2010. The implementation of Medicare Part D, the effects of the recent recession, and the aging of the baby boomers affected the spending trends and distributions during the period of this study. Adapted from the source document.

US health care spending increased 5.3 percent to $3.0 trillion in 2014. On a per capita basis, health spending was $9,523 in 2014, an increase of 4.5 percent from 2013. The share of gross domestic product devoted to health care spending was 17.5 percent, up from 17.3 percent in 2013. The faster growth in 2014 that followed five consecutive years of historically low growth was primarily due to the major coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act, particularly for Medicaid and private health insurance, which contributed to an increase in the insured share of the population. Additionally, the introduction of new hepatitis C drugs contributed to rapid growth in retail prescription drug expenditures, which increased by 12.2 percent in 2014. Spending by the federal government grew at a faster rate in 2014 than spending by other sponsors of health care, leading to a 2-percentage-point increase in its share of total health care spending between 2013 and 2014.

Total nominal US health care spending increased 5.8 percent and reached $3.2 trillion in 2015. On a per person basis, spending on health care increased 5.0 percent, reaching $9,990. The share of gross domestic product devoted to health care spending was 17.8 percent in 2015, up from 17.4 percent in 2014. Coverage expansions that began in 2014 as a result of the Affordable Care Act continued to affect health spending growth in 2015. In that year, the faster growth in total health care spending was primarily due to accelerated growth in spending for private health insurance (growth of 7.2 percent), hospital care (5.6 percent), and physician and clinical services (6.3 percent). Continued strong growth in Medicaid (9.7 percent) and retail prescription drug spending (9.0 percent), albeit at a slower rate than in 2014, contributed to overall health care spending growth in 2015.

US health care spending increased 9.7 percent to reach $4.1 trillion in 2020, a much faster rate than the 4.3 percent increase seen in 2019. The acceleration in 2020 was due to a 36.0 percent increase in federal expenditures for health care that occurred largely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, gross domestic product declined 2.2 percent, and the share of the economy devoted to health care spending spiked, reaching 19.7 percent. In 2020 the number of uninsured people fell, while at the same time there were significant shifts in types of coverage.

US health care spending increased 4.6 percent to reach $3.6 trillion in 2018, a faster growth rate than the rate of 4.2 percent in 2017 but the same rate as in 2016. The share of the economy devoted to health care spending declined to 17.7 percent in 2018, compared to 17.9 percent in 2017. The 0.4-percentage-point acceleration in overall growth in 2018 was driven by faster growth in both private health insurance and Medicare, which were influenced by the reinstatement of the health insurance tax. For personal health care spending (which accounted for 84 percent of national health care spending), growth in 2018 remained unchanged from 2017 at 4.1 percent. The total number of uninsured people increased by 1.0 million for the second year in a row, to reach 30.7 million in 2018.

Health care spending in the US grew 2.7 percent to reach $4.3 trillion in 2021, a much slower rate than the increase of 10.3 percent seen in 2020. The slower rate of growth in 2021 was driven by a 3.5 percent decline in federal government expenditures for health care after a spike in 2020 that occurred largely in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside this decline, the use of medical goods and services increased in 2021. The share of the economy accounted for by the health sector fell from 19.7 percent in 2020 to 18.3 percent in 2021, but it was still higher than the 17.6 percent share in 2019. In 2021 the number of uninsured people declined for the second consecutive year as Medicaid enrollment increased.National health expenditures increased by 2.7 percent in 2021 to $4.3 trillion ($12,914 per person) after growing 10.3 percent in 2020, with a decline in federal government health care spending related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the main contributor to the slower growth rate (exhibit 1). Concurrently, after contracting in 2020, gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 10.7 percent1 (the largest growth rate since 1984) as both real output2 and prices3 accelerated (with inflation trends faster for the latter half of 2021). The divergent trends in the health sector and overall economy led to a decline in the health spending share of GDP to 18.3 percentin 2021 after a sharp increase in 2020 to 19.7 percent (up from 17.6percent in 2019). Three key factors affected the spending trend in 2021, with the decline in federal government health care spending far outweighing greater use of health care goods and services and increased insurance coverage.Health care spending by the federal government declined 3.5 percent (by $0.05 trillion) to $1.46 trillion in 2021 after an increase of 36.8 percent in 2020 (from $1.10 trillion to $1.51 trillion) (exhibit 2). An influx of federal COVID-19 funding in 2020, such as from the Provider Relief Fund, the Paycheck Protection Program, and public health activity, contributed to the $0.41 trillion increase in federal government spending in 2020.4 Although this COVID19 funding continued in 2021, it was at a much lower level than in 2020. In addition, federal Medicaid spending increased more slowly in 2021 (11.4 percent) than in 2020 (18.8 percent).