Children's healthcare spending grows even amid reduced use

In a report from the Health Care Cost Institute, spending increased for pediatric care in 2014 even though the use of services declined.

Between 2010 and 2014, healthcare spending grew 5.1 percent for children covered by employer-sponsored insurance and increased 5.5 percent for those paying out of pocket. Pediatric doctor visits, prescription drug use, emergency room visits and hospital admissions all declined.

"The decline in children's use of healthcare services is a relatively new trend that we need to continue monitoring," HCCI Senior Researcher Amanda Frost said in a statement. "While we know that prices have fueled much of the spending growth in 2014, future research should examine whether these higher expenditures are leading to better healthcare outcomes for children."

During the period of 2010 to 2014, the rate of pediatric ER visits fell from 181 to 177 per 1,000 children, while prices rose for emergency services rose from an average of $165 per visit to $214.