National health expenditures, 1985

Slower price inflation in 1985 translated into slower growth of national health expenditures, but underlying growth in the use of goods and services continued along historic trends. Coupled with somewhat sluggish growth of the gross national product, this adherence to trends pushed the share of our Nation's output accounted for by health spending to 10.7 percent. Some aspects of health spending changed: falling use of hospital services was offset by rising hospital profits and increased use of other health care services. Other aspects remained the same: both the public sector and the private sector continued efforts to contain costs, efforts that have affected and will continue to affect not only the providers of care but the users of care as well.