Recession likely to boost government outlays on healthcare

Government spending on healthcare is expected to jump 7.4% to more $1 trillion this year as the recession curbs private healthcare spending and swells the rolls of Medicaid and other government programs, according to a study by economists and actuaries at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Overall, the nation's healthcare expenditures are expected to reach $2.510 trillion, a 5.5% increase from 2008, when expenditures grew at a 6.1% pace, according to the study.