Becker’s Hospital Review
Hospital price growth has declined over the past decade and has been consistently outpaced by health insurance premiums, despite concerns that consolidation is increasing prices, according to an American Hospital Association infographic.
Hospital spending is at historic lows, with its growth rate declining from 5.8 percent in 2003 to 1.9 percent in 2013, according to the AHA. Meanwhile, the growth rate for health insurance premiums went from around 13.3 percent in 2003 to 4.5 percent in 2012.
Additionally, although consolidation has increased in recent years, only about 10 percent of hospitals have been part of a merger of acquisition during the past six years, according to the infographic, which cites a report by the Center for Healthcare Economics & Policy.