Charles Roehrig

National Health Spending By Medical Condition, 1996–2005

This study responds to recent calls for information about how personal health expenditures from the National Health Expenditure Accounts are distributed across medical conditions. It provides annual estimates from 1996 through 2005 for thirty-two conditions mapped into thirteen all-inclusive diagnostic categories. Circulatory system spending was highest among the diagnostic categories, accounting for 17 percent of spending in 2005. The most costly conditions were mental disorders and heart conditions. Spending growth rates were lowest for lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia, coronary heart disease, and stroke, perhaps reflecting benefits of preventive care.

When the Cost Curve Bent — Pre-Recession Moderation in Health Care Spending

Is the recent moderation in the rate of growth of U.S. health care spending likely to continue? A new analysis shows that the moderation predated the recession by more than 2.5 years, so the bend in the curve cannot be attributed solely to the economy.

Quantifying national spending on wellness and prevention

PURPOSE We estimate national health expenditures on prevention using precise definitions, a transparent methodology, and a subdivision of the estimates into components to aid researchers in applying their own concepts of prevention activities. METHODOLOGY/APPROACH We supplemented the National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) with additional data to identify national spending on primary and secondary prevention for each year from 1996 to 2004 across eight spending categories. FINDINGS We estimate that NHEA expenditures devoted to prevention grew from

National spending on cardiovascular disease, 1996-2008.

83.2 billion in 1996 to

Cancer care cost trends in the United States: 1998 to 2012.

159.8 billion in 2004, in current dollars. As a share of NHEA, this represents an increase from 7.8 percent in 1996 to 8.6 percent in 2004. This share peaked at 9 percent in 2002 and then declined due to reductions in public health spending as a percent of NHEA between 2002 and 2004. Primary prevention represents about half the expenditures, consisting largely of public health expenditures--the largest prevention element. ORIGINALITY/VALUE OF PAPER: Our 2004 estimate that 8.6 percent of NHEA goes to prevention is nearly three times as large as the commonly cited figure of 3 percent, but depends on the definitions used: our estimate falls to 8.1 percent when the research component is excluded, 5.1 percent when consideration is limited to primary prevention plus screening, 4.2 percent for primary prevention alone, and 2.8 percent if we count only public health expenditures. These findings should contribute to a more informed discussion of our nations allocation of health care resources to prevention.

Consumer-Driven Healthcare: Information, Incentives, Enrollment, and Implications for National Health Expenditures

To the Editor : In spite of great strides made in recent years to improve its prevention and treatment, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the most costly contributor to national health expenditures ([1,2][1]). As part of an effort to improve our understanding of the appropriate allocation of

Cost-Effectiveness of Cardiovascular Disease Spending

The authors examine trends in spending on cancer from 1998 through 2012, including cancer care costs, prevalence, and cases by payer, and discuss the results within the context of a prior analysis and recent health policy and programmatic changes.

National Health Spending in 2014 — Acceleration Delayed

We highlight the importance of information for consumerdriven healthcare (CDHC), describe barriers, display data on adoption rates and product features, and use a new health modeling approach to investigate the potential impact on national healthcare expenditures. We conclude with an assessment of the prospects for CDHC as a revolution of information, competition, and market orientation; and we discuss potential pitfalls, including concern regarding vulnerable populations. While the jury is out on the ultimate effects, enrollment in CDHC programs—while still small—is growing rapidly; utilization and costs for subscribers appear to be moderating; and creative benefit structures emphasize health promotion alongside previously unseen cost consciousness.

A Framework for Assessing the Value of Investments in Nonclinical Prevention.

To the Editor: In a previous communication ([1][1]), we traced the history of spending on cardiovascular disease (CVD) treatment, prevention, and research since 1996. As we noted there, such spending estimates naturally lead to the question of whether the money has been well spent. To begin to

Aging into disability beyond 50: the impact on labor force participation and earnings

Health economists anticipated a jump in health spending in 2014 due to expanded insurance coverage and recovery from the recession, but the growth rate has instead remained flat. What factors contributed to slower-than-expected growth, and what can we expect now?