August 2015 Health Sector Economic Indicators Briefs

National health spending in June 2015 was 5.7% higher than in June 2014, down from the 8-year high growth rate of 6.7% in the first quarter of 2015. The 5.7% growth rate is still, however, higher than the new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services 2014 estimate of 5.5%. The health sector added about 28,000 new jobs in July, a bit off the pace of the previous 3 months but still above the 24-month average of 26,600. In the first 7 months of 2015, the health sector has averaged more than 37,000 new jobs per month. Health job growth in July reached 3.0% year over year for the first time since 2002. Health care prices in June 2015 were 1.1% higher than in June 2014, the third consecutive month at that rate and only a tenth above the decade-plus low of 1.0% growth registered in August 2013.