The Health Care Spending Slowdown: It’s a Global Affair
<p>Many of us have heard about the recent slowdown in the growth of U.S. health care spending. But how many of us know that other wealthy countries around the world have also experienced a similar slowdown?</p><p>In a new <a href="/publications/journal-article/2014/jun/global-slowdown-health-care-spending-growth">“Viewpoint” published online</a> this morning by the <em>Journal of the American Medical Association, </em>The Commonwealth Fund’s David Squires reports findings of his analysis of international spending data for industrialized nations and speculates on whether the global slowdown is likely to continue.</p>
<p>The author, a senior researcher at the Fund, notes that the factors most likely contributing to this welcome trend in U.S. health spending—most notably, the 2007–2009 financial crisis—have affected other countries as well. But even as spending growth has fallen worldwide, the level of U.S. health spending continues to far exceed spending in other nations.</p>
<p>History indicates the global trend is unlikely to continue. But there is a possibility that the slower growth of recent years could have brought about lasting changes to our own health care system, Squires says. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act could temper the spending increases that would otherwise accompany economic recovery.</p>
<p>Read more on <a href="/publications/journal-article/2014/jun/global-slowdown-health-care-spending-growth">commonwealthfund.org</a>.</p>