Key Data
Anderson, G.F., B.K. Frogner. November 2008. Health Spending in OECD Countries: Obtaining Value per Dollar. Health Affairs 27(6):1718-1727.
This article discusses the latest annual health spending data from thirty countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditure Accounts, Updated regularly.
This website has links to federal data on national health expenditures by service category, future cost projections, state health accounts, and business, household, and government health care spending. The most recent spending and projections data are also presented in the following articles:
Hartman, M., A. Martin, O. Nuccio, et al. Health Spending Growth at A Historic Low in 2008, Health Affairs, January 2010.
Economists from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services report on health care spending in 2008 and changes from prior years.
Congress of the United States, Congressional Budget Office, The Budget and Economic Outlook: An Update, August 2011.
This update from the CBO analyzes the economic situation of the United States with particular emphasis on the budget deficit.
Congress of the United States, Congressional Budget Office, The Budget and Economic Outlook: Fiscal Years 2011-2021, January 2011.
In this annual report to the Congressional Committees on the Budget, CBO analysts report on major influences on the nation’s economy, including national health spending care costs and projections of spending in the private and public sectors.
Dartmouth Medical School, The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care, Updated regularly.
The Dartmouth Atlas is a funded research effort that provides the public with online information about the U.S. health care system, including publications on differences in health expenditures within the U.S., geographic patterns of medical services utilization, and variations in health status across the country.
Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Care Costs: A Primer. May 2012.
This primer examines the growth in the nation's health care costs and the impact of those costs on American families.
Kaiser Family Foundation. Snapshots: Health Care Costs.
Comparing Projected Growth in Health Care Expenditures and the Economy. May 2006.
This report compares the growth of health care expenditures with that of the national economy.
Distribution of Out-of-Pocket Spending for Health Care Services. May 2006.
This snapshot presents data on current out-of-pocket spending for health care in the U.S.
Health Care Spending in the United States and OECD Countries. April 2011.
This report compares health care spending in the U.S. with that of other OECD countries.
How Changes in Medical Technology Affect Health Care Costs. March 2007.
This report discusses the development and diffusion of medical technology and how it affects the growth in health care costs.
Kaiser Family Foundation. StateHealthFacts.org.
This website provides access the most recent state-level information on state health spending on public programs, prescription drugs, inpatient hospital care, state budgets, mental health, employer premiums, Medicaid, and HIV spending.
Kaiser Family Foundation, Trends in Health Care Costs and Spending, March 2009.
This fact sheet on health care costs presents key statistics about the growth, level and impact of rising U.S. health care costs. It covers spending on various medical services, sources of health spending, employer-sponsored health coverage and impact on businesses and people.
Kaiser Family Foundation & Health Research and Educational Trust, Employer Health Benefits 2012 Annual Survey, September 2012.
This annual survey of employers provides detailed insights into trends in employer-based health coverage, including changes in premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing policies, covered benefits, and other relevant information.
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. September 2009.
The Crunch Continues: Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy in the Midst of a Recession.
This annual survey reports on increased enrollment in Medicaid during the current recession and makes projections for continued enrollment and spending increases for FY2010.
Kashihara, D & Carper, K. December 2010. National Health Care Expenses in the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2008. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey & Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Statistical Brief 301.
This report describes the various services where Americans spent health care dollars in 2008.
Keehan, S.P., Sisko, A.M., Truffer, C.J., & et al. August 2011. National Health Spending Projections Through 2020: Economic Recovery and Reform Drive Faster Spending Growth. Health Affairs, 30, no. 8 (2011): 1594-1605.
This article discusses health expenditure predictions through 2020 as well as the relation to the Affordable Care Act and public assistant programs.
Machlin, S, Cohen, S.B, & Yu, W. April 2011. Health Care Access and Expenditures among Non-Elderly Adults with Multiple Chronic Conditions: Variations by Insurance Coverage Status, 2007-08. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey & Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Statistical Brief 320.
This brief provides baseline pre-Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act estimates of health care access, utilization, and expenditures for uninsured high risk non-elderly adults and their counterparts with insurance coverage.
Martin A.B. et al., “Growth In US Health Spending Remained Slow in 2010; Health Share of Gross Domestic Product Was Unchanged from 2009,” Health Affairs, 2012.
The article examines health spending in the U.S., trends in health spending, as well as reasons for recent cost growth.
MedPAC. A Data Book: Healthcare Spending and the Medicare Program. June 2011.
This Data Book provides information on Medicare beneficiary demographics and data on Medicare spending, both overall and in specific areas such as prescription drugs and acute care.
National Governors Association & National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO),The Fiscal Survey of States, Spring 2011.
This bi-annual report presents aggregate and individual NASBO state-level survey data of the states' general fund receipts, expenditures, and balances. Although not the totality of state spending, these funds are used to finance most broad-based state services, including health care.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Health Data 20011—Frequently Requested Data. September 20011.
The tables on this page offer OECD data from various countries on a number of health indicators, including total expenditure on health and average growth rate of health expenditures.
Soni, Anita. July 2011. Top 10 Most Costly Conditions among Men and Women, 2008: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Adult Population, Age 18 and Older. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey & Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Statistical Brief 331.
Presents a ranking of the 10 most costly health conditions for men and women in 2008.
Wilson, K. May 2011. Health Care Costs 101, 2011 Edition. California Health Care Foundation.
This chart pack provides an overview of costs and financing trends in California over the past decade and predictions of future costs.
Public Opinion & Employer Perspectives
Darling, H. June 2010. Health Care Reform: Perspectives from Large Employers. Health Affairs, 29, no. 6 (2010): 1220-1224.
This article describes large employer’s perspectives regarding health care reform, specifically increasing access to employer based coverage, new administrative requirements, and access to insurance through the exchanges.
Employee Benefit Research Institute. September 2010. Health Confidence Survey - 2010 Results.
The 2010 Health Confidence Survey finds health reform does not increase confidence in the U.S. health care system. .
Fronstin, P. December 2010. MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey. Employee Benefit Research Institute Issue Brief No. 352.
This survey presents nationally representative data on consumer-driven health plans and their impact on health care consumers.
Kaiser Family Foundation. June 2011. Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.
The June 2011 Kaiser Health Tracking Poll examines the opinions of seniors and the public about Medicare and the federal budget deficit, as well as provides an early look at the views of registered voters and the potential role health care might play in the upcoming presidential election cycle. The Kaiser Health Tracking Poll is updated monthly.
Stremikis, K., Guterman, S., & Davis, K. April 2009. Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views on Health Spending and Reform Implementation. The Commonwealth Fund.
This survey summarized the opinions of leaders in health care and health care policy regarding reducing and slowing health care costs.
Towers Watson. February 2010. 2010 Health Care Cost Survey- Workforce Health: New Deal, New Dividend.
This report from consulting firm Towers Watson presents survey data on health care costs from 552 of the nation’s largest employers.
Towers Watson. March 2011. 16th Annual Towers Watson/ National Business Group on Health Employer Survey on Purchasing Value in Health Care.
In this study, nearly 600 survey participants provided detailed information about their health care programs, their strategies and practices, and the results of their efforts to manage health benefit costs and improve employee health.