Consumers spent less on dentistry in 2009

The worst economic slowdown since the Great Depression led to the slowest growth in U.S. healthcare spending in 50 years, although it still outpaced other sectors, new government data for 2009 shows.

Spending on hospital services, doctor visits, medicines, and other health needs rose 4% to $2.5 trillion in 2009, compared with 4.7% in 2008, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reported January 5.

The economic downturn also affected consumer out-of-pocket spending, which slowed to 0.4% growth in 2009, as spending for dental services, nursing care facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and physician and clinical services declined.

Even so, healthcare spending continued to outpace other sectors to become a larger part of the nation's economic output. It grew to 17.6% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2009, up from 16.6% the year before.

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