U.S. government report shows dental spending on the rise

Spending on dental services in the U.S. is showing modest but gradual increases, according to estimates from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS; Health Affairs, January 2013, Vol. 32:1, pp. 87-99).

For the third year in a row, total health spending grew 3.9%, reaching $2.7 trillion in 2011, the CMS reported. The dental economy grew by 3% to $108.4 billion in 2011, up from $105.3 billion in 2010.

The dental share of the $307.7 billion that consumers spent out-of-pocket for all health services in 2011 was 14.7%, but that proportion has declined from a recession high of 15.5% in 2008, according to a story in the ADA News.

Out-of-pocket dental spending was $43.4 billion in 2010 and grew 4.1% to $45.1 billion in 2011, according to the CMS report.

CMS will issue a report on projected health expenditures through 2022 later this year.

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