Medicare spending on healthcare for elderly dips, driven by better cardiovascular care
Healthcare Finance | February 05, 2019
Healthcare spending among the Medicare population age 65 and older has slowed dramatically since 2005, and as much as half of that reduction can be attributed to reduced spending on cardiovascular disease, a new Harvard study has found. Led by Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics David Cutler, a team of researchers showed that by 2012, those reductions saved the average person nearly $3,000 a year. Across the entire elderly population, those savings add up to an impressive $120 billion, with about half of those savings coming from Medicare. The authors say the findings show that that widespread preventative care has the potential to save money.