Healthcare spending slowdown continues

Healthcare spending growth remained at a near-record low for the fourth consecutive year, according to a report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Office of the Actuary.

In 2012, healthcare spending rose by 3.7 percent to $2.8 trillion—with the average cost of medical care per person at $8,915 in 2012 versus $8,658 in 2011. Meanwhile, healthcare spending as a portion of the overall U.S. economy dipped slightly from 17.3 percent in 2011 to 17.2 percent in 2012, according to the analysis.

"The relative stability since 2009 primarily reflects the lagged impact of the recent severe economic recession," said Anne Martin, an economist at CMS, according to Reuters.

Details of the analysis can be found here.