2016 December 27; 316(24): 2627–2646. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.16885. | Joseph L. Dieleman, PhD, Ranju Baral, PhD, Maxwell Birger, BS, Anthony L. Bui, MPH, Anne Bulchis, MPH, Abigail Chapin, BA, Hannah Hamavid, BA, Cody Horst, BS, Elizabeth K. Johnson, BA, Jonathan Joseph, BS, Rousselle Lavado, PhD, Liya Lomsadze, BS, Alex Reynolds, BA, Ellen Squires, BA, Madeline Campbell, BS, Brendan DeCenso, MPH, Daniel Dicker, BS, Abraham D. Flaxman, PhD, Rose Gabert, MPH, Tina Highfill, MA, Mohsen Naghavi, MD, MPH, PhD, Noelle Nightingale, MLIS, Tara Templin, BA, Martin I. Tobias, MBBCh, Theo Vos, MD, and Christopher J. L. Murray, MD, DPhil
This study systematically and comprehensively estimates US spending on personal health care and public health from 1996 to 2013, stratified by condition, age and sex group, and type of care. The research uses a standardized set of methods to adjust for data imperfections and combines data from government budgets, insurance claims, facility surveys, household surveys, and official US records. The results show that from 1996 to 2013, $30.1$ trillion of personal health care spending was spent on 155 conditions, with diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain accounting for the highest amounts of spending. Personal health care spending increased for 143 of the 155 conditions, with the most significant increases observed in low back and neck pain and diabetes. Spending on emergency care and retail pharmaceuticals grew at the fastest rates, outpacing inpatient and nursing facility care. The study also estimates federal public health spending, which was primarily focused on infectious diseases and lower respiratory tract infections. The findings highlight the substantial increases in health care spending and the need for targeted interventions to control costs.This study systematically and comprehensively estimates US spending on personal health care and public health from 1996 to 2013, stratified by condition, age and sex group, and type of care. The research uses a standardized set of methods to adjust for data imperfections and combines data from government budgets, insurance claims, facility surveys, household surveys, and official US records. The results show that from 1996 to 2013, $30.1$ trillion of personal health care spending was spent on 155 conditions, with diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and low back and neck pain accounting for the highest amounts of spending. Personal health care spending increased for 143 of the 155 conditions, with the most significant increases observed in low back and neck pain and diabetes. Spending on emergency care and retail pharmaceuticals grew at the fastest rates, outpacing inpatient and nursing facility care. The study also estimates federal public health spending, which was primarily focused on infectious diseases and lower respiratory tract infections. The findings highlight the substantial increases in health care spending and the need for targeted interventions to control costs.