I have a new post up at The Corner on new estimates showing that 2009 and 2010 had the slowest growth rates in health spending in five decades. The obvious cause is the recession. But:
it would appear that these economic factors alone don’t fully explain the drop in spending growth, so the search is on for additional causes.
Here’s one thing we can rule out: Obamacare.
Some of the law’s advocates are trying to take credit for the slowdown in spending, claiming that the debate over Obamacare and the prospect of its “cost control” efforts becoming law were enough to force anticipatory actions that have rooted out waste and inefficiency.
This is nonsense.
Details here.
Diagnosis
May 1, 2012