Spending on chronic conditions is projected at $778.7 billion in 2017, down by 2.8% from 2012 when spending was $642.1 million. This spending represented 55.6% of total health care spending. Overall spending has increased 85% since 2002. Chronic conditions are generally defined as medical conditions that cause reoccurring health problems and last for either months or years The five most costly chronic conditions for 163.8 million people each year include: care for mental disorders, heart conditions, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and . . .