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In this month’s Health Sector Economic Indicators briefs, we incorporate new CMS health expenditure data for 2020 and show the impact of federal spending on near-record growth, while healthcare prices rise slightly and 2021's labor trends persist.
With high GDP growth, health spending stabilizes near 17.5% of GDP, health care price growth remains low amid continued increases in economy-wide inflation, and jobs in ambulatory care continue to grow amid strong economy-wide job growth.
Health spending surpasses $4 trillion while its share GDP share continues to fall, economywide inflation continues to overshadow health care price growth, and health care employment falls—driven by hospitals and residential care.
National health spending growth remains modest, health sector price growth slows for most categories, and health care employment falls slightly—remaining 3.1% below February 2020.
National health spending continues its gradual recovery; health sector price inflation remains mostly under control; and hospital and ambulatory care jobs grow while residential care jobs continue decline.
GDP growth is outpacing national health spending growth; health sector price growth falls below 2.0% amid economywide records; and health employment stands 25K below December 2020 halfway through 2021.
National health spending growth reflects rebound from COVID-19, health care price growth remains stable amid economywide inflation, and health employment up modestly in May, returning to the December 2020 level
National health spending rebound slows to pre-pandemic growth rates, economywide price growth outpaces the health care sector in April, and Health employment down slightly in April, driven by hospitals and nursing homes.