health care spending

A Way to Hit the Brakes on Health Care Spending?

Posted on 01/14/2013 by | Washington Watch | Comments

Bulletin Today | PoliticsAs Congress and the White House head into the next round of budget-deficit talks, a nonpartisan think tank says it has a better idea for controlling federal spending than cutting Medicare: rein in all health care spending, with the government leading the way. In a new study, the Commonwealth Fund proposes that health care spending not be allowed to grow faster than the overall economy. The approach would have Medicare, Medicaid, other government programs and private insurers encourage providers to …

Unusual Respite From Surging Health Care Costs

Posted on 01/8/2013 by | General News | Comments

Bulletin TodayBy Ricardo-Alonso-Zaldivar of The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans kept health care spending in check for three years in a row, the government reported Monday, an unusual respite that could linger if the economy stays soft or fade like a mirage if job growth comes roaring back. The nation’s health care tab stood at $2.7 trillion in 2011, the latest year available, said nonpartisan number crunchers with the Department of Health and Human Services. That’s 17.9 percent of the economy, which averages …