Medical Costs Registers First Decline in 40 Years
Source: Wall Street Journal
U.S. consumers’ health-care costs fell in May for the first time in almost four decades, the latest evidence that government policies and an expansion in generic drugs are holding back prices.
The Labor Department’s price index for medical care — a figure that includes individuals’ outlays for insurance, medical supplies, doctor visits and hospital stays — fell a seasonally adjusted 0.1% in May. The leading driver of last month’s drop was a 0.6% contraction in prescription-drug costs. [snip]
The effects of the federal health care overhaul — the Affordable Care Act that passed in 2010 —and constrained government payments to doctors and hospitals seems to be trickling down to consumers, both those directly purchasing insurance plans and those buying drugs and treatments.
Read more: http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2013/06/18/medical-costs-register-first-decline-since-1970s/
If we were to arrange the problems we have in the US in order of importance, I'd say inequality is an easy first, and health care costs are an obvious second.
That health care costs have declined for the first time in 40 years (in spite of strident predictions otherwise), and that the decline is largely attributed to legislation passed through the efforts of our democratic president, I thought it might deserve a mention here.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Woo Hoo! 
