Health spending growth slows as economies struggle – OECD

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – Total health spending fell in one of three OECD nations between 2009 and 2011, with poor people in countries hardest hit by the financial crisis at risk of longer-term problems due to reduced access to medicines and check-ups, the OECD said on Thursday. The drop is a sharp reversal of strong growth in health spending in the years prior to the financial crisis, the Paris-based organisation said, and makes it all the more important that governments work to make healthcare systems more productive, efficient and affordable. Spending per capita fell in 11 of 33 OECD countries between 2009 and 2011, according to the 2013 "Health at a Glance" report. The OECD cautioned that short-term benefits to budgets are likely to be greatly outweighed by the longer-term impacts on health, and health spending.