Source: Pew Charitable Trusts, January 27, 2014
Total U.S. health care spending grew slowly in 2012, rising about 4 percent, but the story for state and local governments was dramatically different. … Total U.S. health care spending grew slowly in 2012, rising about 4 percent, but the story for state and local governments was dramatically different. Health care spending by states and localities increased 8 percent, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, consuming a larger share of revenue—about $3 of every $10—than has been the case for such expenses since at least 1987, the earliest year for which complete data are available. As state and local governments continue to navigate the aftermath of the Great Recession, health care spending remains a main source of fiscal pressure. …