US Healthcare Costs Grew 5.28% in 2011
Medicare News Tuesday, February 28th, 2012John Commins, for HealthLeaders Media, February 22, 2012.
The average per capita cost of healthcare services covered by Medicare programs and commercial insurance grew by 5.28 % in 2011, nearly double the rate of inflation in the larger economy, Standard & Poor’s Healthcare Economic Indices show.
A further breakdown of S&P data shows that healthcare costs covered by commercial insurance plans grew by 7.11% in 2011, while Medicare claim costs rose by 2.51%, despite the government plans’ older and sicker population.
Healthcare costs easily outpaced the 3% growth in overall inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for 2011, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Read More
