Health spending swallowed 38% of federal revenue in 2010, down from 54% in 2009, but up from 28% in 2007.
The net cost of health insurance – the difference between private health insurance premiums earned and private health benefits paid – fell 1.2%, to $133 billion, according to a team of researchers led by Anne Martin, an economist in the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
The researchers have published a 2009 National Health Expenditures (NHE) report in Health Affairs, a health care delivery and health finance academic journal.
Employer spending on health insurance premiums rose 0.4%, to $398 billion, and individuals’ spending on health insurance premiums rose 0.2%, to $248 billion.
State Medicaid spending fell 10%, to $130 billion, but federal spending on Medicaid climbed 22%, to $254 billion.
Federal spending on Medicare climbed 21%, to $233 billion.
Spending on private health insurance was soft because enrollment was down, the researchers say.