title: Stunted growth. Spending growth--dampened by Medicaid, Medicare--dropped for the first time in 7 years, but consumers still paid big bucks.
abstract: Healthcare spending growth dropped for the first time in seven years in 2003, but spending still hit a record amount--1.7 trillion dollars. Some observers say the numbers don't support any particular approach to fixing healthcare. And some say the continued absolute rise in costs, despite efforts to rein them in, shows that privatization isn't working. "I don't think you'll continue to see a decrease," said the Ochsner Clinic Foundation's Warner Thomas.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D017047:Cost Sharing / Q000639:trends*; D004608:Eligibility Determination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000639:trends; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D005102:Health Expenditures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D006278:Medicare / Q000191:economics; D013221:State Health Plans / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States