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Health Costs Could Double by 2011
A detailed study reported by Health and Human Services Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services said health costs are expected to grow at a
rate of 7.3 percent annually between now and 2011. The
report was published on March 12th, 2002 in the Journal Health Affairs,
and predicts that by 2011, Americans are expected to spend $9,216
per person on health care. In the year 2000, health care spending in
America averaged $4,637 per person, which is by far the highest in the
world. This number represented 13.2 percent of the United States
gross domestic product, again the highest in the world. According to
the report, if the trend continues, the US will be spending 17% of the
nation's gross domestic product on health care.
The amount of money is staggering. In the year 2000 the total US
spending on health care was $1.3 trillion. The study predicts that
that number will balloon up to 2.8 trillion by 2011. The incredible
increase is being attributed to the increased bargaining power of
hospitals and health providers for higher insurance payments, and the
aging of baby boomers, who increasingly want high-tech tests and
treatments, as well as higher-priced drugs they see advertised on
television.
Chiropractic accounts for only a relatively small financial slice of
this expensive pie. In this study they also tracked expenditures for what
they termed, "Other Professional Services". These included
professional services provided by private-duty nurses, chiropractors,
podiatrists, optometrists, and physical, occupational and speech
therapists, among others. Even though previous studies suggest that
chiropractors see between 11 and 15% of the US population, the total
amount spent in the year 2000 from a possible total of 1.3 trillion was
only, 41.2 billion or less than 3.2% of the total amount. And
in addition to chiropractic, this 3.2% includes all the "Other
Professional Services" included in the study. With the high numbers
of people using chiropractic care, it makes Chiropractic a very affordable
component in an otherwise out-of-control health care expense.
As mentioned, the study showed that in the year 2000 the average health
care costs per person were $4,637, and expected to rise to $9,216 by the
year 2011. In comparison, when you then consider the category of
"Other Professional Services", which includes chiropractic, the
estimated spending for 2000 was $147 per person, and increasing to $295 by
2010. These figures again put the percent that each person spends on
services including chiropractic at a steady 3.2% of total per person
expenses for health care per year.
Although not stated in the study, one of the conclusions that should
have been included is that chiropractic care represents one of the most
affordable parts of the health care economic picture both today and in the
future.
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