The AMA’s “Policy Research Perspective,” published earlier this month, compiles yearly spending data from organizations including CMS and HRSA. The full source list can be found here.
The U.S. spent more than $1.3 trillion on hospital care in 2021, the highest of any health expenditure. This represents nearly one-third of the year’s spending.
Here is a breakdown of the distribution of healthcare spending:
- Hospital care — $1.32 trillion (31.1 percent)
- Other personal healthcare costs — $680.4 billion (16 percent)
- Physician services — $633.4 billion (14.9 percent)
- Prescription drugs — $378 billion (8.9 percent)
- Net cost of health insurance — $255.7 billion (6 percent)
- Clinical services — $231.2 billion (5.4 percent)
- Investment — $207 billion (4.9 percent)
- Government and public health activities — $187.6 billion (4.4 percent)
- Nursing care facilities — $181.3 billion (4.3 percent)
- Home healthcare — $125.2 billion (2.9 percent)
- Government and administration — $51.5 billion (1.2 percent)
