Overall U.S. health spending was at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2.84 trillion, the same as July. Health spending accounted for 17.9 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product, which has been similar to the previous months this year.
Healthcare prices (pdf) were 2.4 percent higher in August 2012 compared with August 2011. Hospital and physician prices grew at 3.6 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Prescription drug prices continue to be the highest among all healthcare price categories. They grew 4 percent, up slightly from 3.9 percent in July.
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