Health care spending continues its slow and steady growth. “Overall national health spending grew at a rate of 3.9 percent in 2017, almost 1.0 percentage point slower than growth in 2016,” says a study conducted by the CMS Office of the Actuary and published in the journal Health Affairs. “Medicare spending grew at about the same rate in 2017 as in 2016, while Medicaid spending grew at a slower rate in 2017 than in 2016,” CMS notes in a release. The 3.9 percent growth was slightly slower than growth in the overall economy, which was 4.2 percent in 2017, CMS notes. Take note: The study also points out “an increasing share of all Medicare beneficiaries enrolling in Medicare Advantage,” CMS highlights. See more spending details at www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsHistorical.htm.