Health spending in the United States increased by 4.1% in 2022 to $4.4 trillion, reaching $13,493 per capita, comparable to pre-pandemic growth rates. The growth was driven by a rebound in the utilization of medical goods and services, with slower growth in physician and hospital care but accelerated growth in prescription drug spending. Click here for article.
Overall Growth: Health spending increased by 4.1% to $4.4 trillion in 2022, with per capita spending at $13,493, similar to pre-pandemic levels.
Category Breakdown: Prescription drug spending saw the highest growth at 8.4%, driven by increased drug prices and utilization. Physician services and hospital care experienced slower growth rates of 2.6% and 2.2%, respectively.
Comparison to Pre-Pandemic: Despite significant fluctuations during the pandemic, health spending patterns in 2022 more closely resembled those of the pre-pandemic period, with a return to typical growth rates and shares of GDP (17.3% in 2022).
Policy Research Perspective: The AMA Policy Research Perspective provides an in-depth analysis of U.S. health spending in 2022, examining spending by category, source of funds, and sponsors, highlighting the deceleration in spending on physician services and the factors driving growth in prescription drug spending.