Health Sector Trend Report, June 2017

Advance QSS data for the first quarter (Q1) of 2017 were released in May 2017 and are reflected in this expanded report, which examines current trends in U.S. health care spending, prices, utilization, and employment. Highlights include:

• Latest HSEI data put health spending growth at 5.1% for Q1 2017 and 5.2% for all of 2016.
• Growth in health care prices averaged 1.7% for 2016, rising to 2.0% in Q1 2017, and falling to 1.6% in April/May 2017.
• The Q1 2017 slowdown in health job growth has continued into April/May. Monthly job gains averaged 22,000 during the first 5 months of 2017 compared to 32,000 for 2016.
• Health job growth averaged 2.5% in 2015 and 2016 but looks to be slowing in 2017.

Download the full report to view additional detail and analysis.

About Altarum's Health Sector Trend Reports

With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Altarum provides analysis of key trends in health care spending, prices, utilization, and employment. These reports make direct use of the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS), the timeliest source of detailed, survey-based spending information for health care services, which account for more than 70% of national health spending.

These trend reports are related to, but distinct from, Altarum's Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs, and were published monthly prior to Q1 2018.

Advance QSS data for the first quarter (Q1) of 2017 were released in May 2017 and are reflected in this expanded report, which examines current trends in U.S. health care spending, prices, utilization, and employment. Highlights include:

• Latest HSEI data put health spending growth at 5.1% for Q1 2017 and 5.2% for all of 2016.
• Growth in health care prices averaged 1.7% for 2016, rising to 2.0% in Q1 2017, and falling to 1.6% in April/May 2017.
• The Q1 2017 slowdown in health job growth has continued into April/May. Monthly job gains averaged 22,000 during the first 5 months of 2017 compared to 32,000 for 2016.
• Health job growth averaged 2.5% in 2015 and 2016 but looks to be slowing in 2017.

Download the full report to view additional detail and analysis.

About Altarum's Health Sector Trend Reports

With funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Altarum provides analysis of key trends in health care spending, prices, utilization, and employment. These reports make direct use of the Quarterly Services Survey (QSS), the timeliest source of detailed, survey-based spending information for health care services, which account for more than 70% of national health spending.

These trend reports are related to, but distinct from, Altarum's Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs, and were published monthly prior to Q1 2018.