January 10th, 2012

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that 2010 spending on healthcare slowed at the second-slowest rate in 51 years. Many attribute this to the downturn of the economy.

People who lost their jobs or employer provided health benefits are part of the reason experts believe that health spending has slowed. Also insurers have pushed more payments to patients in recent years. These folks are postponing procedures, filling their prescriptions less, and only seeing a physician when necessary.

A  Department of Health & Human Services economist was interviewed in the article and offered that the federal healthcare reform legislation had little impact on this trend as many of its provisions will not be enacted for a couple of years.