Health care

Health care

Spending

A new government report says health care spending is speeding up again. That could be a problem for the next president, not to mention millions of other Americans.

Projections out Tuesday, from experts at the Health and Human Services Department cite several reasons, including:

Expanded coverage under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul.

Stronger general economic growth.

An aging population.

Expensive new drugs for hepatitis C add to the cost pressures.

The result?

Health care spending will outpace economic growth over the next decade, squeezing society’s ability to pay.

Midway through the next president’s first term, health care spending is projected to be rising at roughly 6 percent a year, compared with about 4 percent from 2008 to 2013.