Cost of hospital cardiac care on the rise

U.S. hospital costs for treating cardiovascular conditions have increased about 40% within the last decade, according to the latest numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The increase, from $40 billion in 1997 to $57.9 billion in 2006, occurred mainly between 1997 and 2003, according to a report. Since then, the annual growth in hospital costs for treating these conditions has slowed to less than 2% due to a decline in the number of heart disease cases and slower increases in cost per case.