Growth Rate of US Health Tab May Have Hit Bottom

BY RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The government says U.S. health care spending grew by the slowest rate in more than a half-century last year.

But a speed-up is coming, as the economy gets traction and the new health care law covers more people.

The nation’s health care tab grew by just 3.6 percent in 2013, nonpartisan experts with the Health and Human Services department reported Wednesday.

That’s the lowest annual increase since the government began measuring in 1960.

The slowdown was mainly due to the uncertain economy.

President Barack Obama’s health care law was not fully implemented in 2013. It seems to have had a mixed effect that year.

Overall, the nation spent $2.9 trillion on health care in 2013.