Rate of Growth in Healthcare Spending at its Lowest

This article in Modern Healthcare discusses how healthcare spending in the US is experiencing the slowest rate of growth in nearly 50 years. Spending growth has only grown 4.4% in 2008 to $2.3 trillion, which is almost a historic low.

It is clear that the economic recession has affected healthcare spending as well as making it difficult for people to afford private insurance. Private insurance benefits also grew at it slowest rate since 1967. What are your thoughts on this decrease in numbers?

Report Finds People Living on Unemployment Benefits Can't Afford COBRA

ABC's Lisa Stark reported today that most unemployed individuals and families are unable to afford the COBRA coverage for health insurance. COBRA allows laid-off workers to continue with their employee-provided health insurance. Many times this health insurance is far too costly to continue as making housing and food payments come first in the family budget. According to the article, Families USA found that workers nationwide would have to spend an average of 30 percent of their unemployment check to pay for insurance coverage for an individual, and an astonishing 84 percent of their unemployment check for health insurance for a family.

What do you think can be done to reduce the cost of this coverage? Will Daschle's appointment foster in a new wave of health insurance reform? Share your thoughts.

U.S. Healthcare Spending Slows

With the rocky economy, more individuals and families are spending less on healthcare coverage and costs. The LATimes covers this stating that, the mild slowdown -- due in part to less growth in drug spending -- was a rare bit of good news as Washington policymakers begin to debate how to reshape the nation's healthcare system, a top priority of congressional Democrats and the new administration.

So good news may come out of this minor slow down. What areas of healthcare do you think are slowing the most?

Do you think we'll see a rise in healthcare in 2009? We'd like to hear your thoughts.