Per Capita Health Spending Growth Lowest For Elderly At 4.1%, Highest For Children At 5.5%

Average annual growth in per capita personal health care spending for the elderly grew 4.1% from 2002 to 2010, making it the lowest growth rate among any other age groups. In comparison, per capita personal health care grew fastest among children (5.5%), followed by adults aged 19-64, (5.2%). However, per capita spending by the elderly in 2010 ($18,424) was three times greater than the average for working adults ($6,125) and five times more than children ($3,628). Personal health care costs consist of all the medical goods and services used to treat or prevent . . .