https://blogs.mercola.com:443/sites/vitalvotes/archive/2004/01/08/Health-Care-Spending-Rose-Over-9-Percent-in-2002.aspxHealth care spending in the United States reached $1.6 trillion in 2002, an annual increase of 9.3 percent, fueled by rising hospital spending and prescription drugs costs. The $1.6 trillion figure means that health care spending averaged about $5,440enCommunityServer 2008.5 SP1 (Debug Build: 31106.3070)