In the wake of Obamacare, the losers have been consumers who have been forced to bear a far larger burden of their medical costs than ever before,
The Wall Street Journal reports.
While Americans are having to pay more, employers and the government are spending less, the Journal adds of the expensive shift, which has caused many to forgo care simply because they can no longer afford it.
"The trend is being accelerated by the Affordable Care Act because many private plans sold by the law’s health exchanges come with hefty out-of-pocket costs, which prompt some people to delay or put off seeking care," the Journal wrote.
Spending on healthcare has hit record lows,
The New York Times noted, a figure not seen since the 1960s.
“The 3.6 percent increase in 2013 is the lowest increase on record in the national health expenditures going back to 1960,” said Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services statistician Micah B. Hartman, told The Times.
“The next lowest increase was 3.8 percent in 2009. These rates are within the range of the recent low rates of growth in healthcare spending, between 3.6 and 4.1 percent from 2009 to 2013," Hartman said, citing data from a study published in the journal
Health Affairs, the Times said.
The study found that the spending slow-down mirrored the nation's overall economy, which has remained flat for 2014 and is projected to continue that trend into 2015,
CNBC reported.
"The economy ended the year essentially where it started, performing below its potential," said AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, chairman of the Business Roundtable told CNBC.
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