In 2015, health care spending hit its highest rate since 2007.
National health care spending was $3.2 trillion dollars, or $9,990 per capita, growing 5.8 percent, according to an American Medical Association (AMA) report. In 2014, there was a 5.3 percent rise in spending and on average 3.7 percent each year between 2008 and 2013, according to AMA Wire.
In years following, data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services showed an increase “resulting from the Affordable Care Act (ACA).”
“Since the 1960s, the only time health care expenditures have grown more slowly than in 2015 or during the 2008–2014 period was during a few years in the mid-1990s," the report said.
The report said there are a few leading expenditures, which resulted in health care increases. Hospital care and physician services both showed huge growth. In addition, prescription pills made the list.
Prescription drugs saw the most growth in the past 25 years, accounting for 5.6 percent of spending in 1990 and 10.1 percent in 2015.
In hopes to decrease health care spending costs specifically with prescription drugs, AMA has launched a campaign targeted toward the price of drugs, seeking to increase transparency about pricing.
