Looking ahead to 2022, the nation’s overall health spending is expected to creep up some, especially for Medicare. The population is aging, which will increase both enrollment and per-enrollee spending, said the economists.
Medicare spending is expected to be restrained somewhat as the program limits growth in fee-for-service payment increases. The economists also said they expected spending to be restrained by the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), which was established by the ACA. That board’s recommendations for spending targets are supposed to start in 2015. So far, the White House has not appointed any member to the board. Physician organizations are hoping to derail the IPAB before it gets started.
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