FACTBOX: U.S. healthcare spending hit $2.2 trillion in 2007

Tue Jan 6, 2009 8:13am EST
 
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(Reuters) - U.S. healthcare spending rose to $2.2 trillion in 2007, or $7,421 per person, an increase of more than 6 percent from the previous year, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported on Tuesday.

Here are some facts about healthcare spending in 2007:

-- Healthcare made up 16.2 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product in 2007.

-- In 2007, 31 percent of healthcare dollars went to hospitals, 21 percent to physicians and clinics, 7 percent on administrative costs, 10 percent to drugs, 25 percent to "other" and 6 percent to nursing homes.

-- Private insurance paid 35 percent of this; Medicare 19 percent; Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program 15 percent; 12 percent from other public funds; 7 percent from other private sources; and 12 percent was paid for out of pocket by patients.

-- Hospital spending was $696.5 billion while doctor and clinical services spending was $478.8 billion.

-- Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly, spent $431.2 billion overall in 2007 while Medicaid, the state-federal health insurance plan for the poor and disabled, spent $329.4 billion.

-- Private health insurance premiums were $775 billion while patients spent $268.6 billion out of their own pockets.

(Reporting by Maggie Fox in Washington, editing by Will Dunham)

 

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