Study on Rise in Health Care Spending

A new study from Emory University in Atlanta finds that more than half (56 percent) of the $200 billion rise in U.S. health care spending from 1987 to 2000 can be traced to fifteen medical conditions and health spending rose at about double the inflation rate. The study, "Which Medical Conditions Account for the Rise in Healthcare Spending?", found that five of those conditions -- heart disease, trauma, cancer, pulmonary conditions, and mental disorders -- accounted for 31 percent of the growth in health spending over that period. The other costly conditions identified by the report were high blood pressure, diabetes, back problems, arthritis, stroke and other brain blockages, skin disorders, pneumonia, infectious disease, hormone disorders, and kidney disease. The study's lead author said that prevention must be used to control health care costs. The 9 page PDF report is available online.