September Health Spending and Price Growth Near Record Lows
National health expenditures in September 2012 grew by 3.7 percent relative to September 2011, ticking down a tenth from the August rate, and representing the fifth consecutive month of below 4 percent growth. At 4 percent, the average monthly rate of growth in spending, year-to-date is barely above the all-time low rate of 3.8 percent recorded in 2009.