July 06, 2001 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Slower rise in out-of-pocket health care spending in 1999

Out-of-pocket spending by consumers on health care rose 2.9 percent on average in 1999. This followed increases of 4 percent in 1997 and of 3.4 percent in 1998. 

[Chart data—TXT]

Spending on health insurance, which is the largest sub-component of health care and accounted for slightly less than half of consumer expenditures on health care, rose just 1.1 percent on average in 1999. Spending on medical services rose 3.0 percent, spending for drugs increased 6.9 percent, and expenditures for medical supplies were also up 6.9 percent. 

These data come from the Consumer Expenditure Survey. Find out more in "Consumer Expenditures in 1999," BLS Report 949.