Medicare Spending Rose 19% In 2006
The cost of medical services in America continues to increase at a faster rate than people's incomes.
Spending for Medicaid fell 0.9% in 2006 to $176 billion - mainly because over 6 million seniors were moved from Medicaid's drug plans to Medicare's program.
Total spending on drugs in the USA rose by 8.5% in 2006, compared to a rise of 5.8% in 2005. Total prescription drug spending was approximately $217 billion in 2006. The authors explained that prescription the drug spending growth in 2006 of 8.5% occurred mainly as a result of Medicare Part D's impact. However, 63% of all prescriptions dispensed in 2006 were for generic drugs, compared to 56% in 2005.
Nearly one third of all US health spending is taken up by hospital care (31%) - physician services take up 21%, and prescription drugs account for 10%, the report shows.
Below is a list of countries' healthcare spending, health services and life expectancies at birth
(Source - OECD)
-- United Kingdom
Spends 8.3% of its economy on healthcare
Universal healthcare coverage for all - Yes
Life expectancy - 79 years
-- France
Spends 11.1% of its economy on healthcare
Universal healthcare coverage for all - Yes
Life expectancy - 80.3 years
-- Germany
Spends 10.7% of its economy of healthcare
Universal healthcare coverage for all - Yes
Life expectancy - 79 years
-- USA
Spends 16% of its economy on healthcare
Universal healthcare coverage for all - No
Life expectancy - 77 years
"National Health Spending In 2006: A Year Of Change For Prescription Drugs"
Aaron Catlin, Cathy Cowan, Micah Hartman, Stephen Heffler the National Health Expenditure Accounts Team
Health Affairs, 27, no. 1 (2008): 14-29 doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.1.14
Click here to view Abstract online
Written by - Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Start Sanatate
Not to be reproduced without permission of Start Sanatate
Medicare cheltuire Rose 19% în 2006 - Medicare Spending Rose 19% In 2006 - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate