Dive Brief:
- Following a five-year deceleration, healthcare spending is expected to rise modestly in 2015, according to a new report from health policy research group PwC released Tuesday.
- PwC forecasts that the medical cost trend will increase from a projected 6.5% in 2014 to 6.8% in 2015.
- The firm points out, however, that this slight uptick is hardly dramatic when compared to the double-digit increases healthcare experienced in the 1990's and 2000's.
Dive Insight:
PwC cites a variety of factors that can be expected to push spending up in 2015, including: an improving economy that permits people to get delayed care; a growth in specialty drugs like Sovaldi; the trend towards hospitals employing more physicians directly; and large-scale investment in IT as health systems consolidate.
The firm also sees several factors pushing spending down: a nationwide focus on improving the efficiency of care delivery; a growth in high-deductible plans (which produces savvier consumers); and the growth of value-based payment models that push physicians to deliver quality care at a lower cost.