Here are four things to know.
1. Healthcare spending growth slowed to 4.3 percent in 2016, compared to 5.8 percent in 2015. From 2008 to 2015, the average annual growth rate for healthcare spending was 4.2 percent.
2. Healthcare spending represented 17.9 percent of the U.S. economy in 2016, up from 17.7 percent in the year prior. This happened as healthcare grew 1.5 percentage points quicker than GDP.
3. Slower growth in prescription drug spending, hospital care and clinical services decelerated healthcare spending growth in 2016.
4. Private health insurance, Medicaid and Medicare all witnessed slower spending growth in 2016. Decelerated enrollment growth slowed down spending for private payers and Medicaid, while lower per enrollee growth rates slowed Medicare spending.
Editor’s note: This article was updated Dec. 11 at 1:50 p.m. CT.
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