The health cost slowdown isn't just about the economy

It's one of the most important economic questions today: Is the snail-like growth of health costs over the last several years a real trend, or is it merely a temporary part of the Great Recession's aftermath? The data experts who compile the government's official numbers on health spending lean toward the more pessimistic view. They think the slowdown ? to the lowest level of growth on record ? stems in large part from Americans skimping on medical care during tough times. "The pattern observed in recent years is not unique and is consistent with historical patterns," Anne Martin of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said after that agency released new numbers this week.