| National health expenditure growth is expected to average 5.5% annually through 2027, reaching nearly $6 trillion and consuming nearly 20% of the economy by then, according to the latest projections issued Wednesday afternoon by federal actuaries.  | Health spending growth is projected to outpace projected Gross Domestic Product growth by 0.8 percentage points over the coming decade.
| | The actuaries project that healthcare's share of the GDP will rise from 17.9% in 2017 to 19.4% by 2027.
| | An aging demographic, a hot economy driving a tight job market, and increases in the costs of medical goods and services are key reasons for spending growth. |
The projections were issued by the independent Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and published in Health Affairs. Read the full story... | 
