By contrast, from 1966 to 1993, national health spending rose more than 11 percent a year, on the average.

Over all, health spending increased 6.9 percent last year, the lowest rate of growth since 1999.

According to the report, private health spending has and will continue to be low in the next few years.

They say that changes to the system would probably have a big effect on health spending starting in five or 10 years.

Population growth accounts for a relatively small share of the increase in total health spending.

But he added that after a few years, health spending would be about the same as under current law.

More than half the increase in health spending is for hospital services.

Total health spending averaged $8,402 a person, up 3.1 percent from 2009, the report said.

If we did, health spending would stop growing so quickly.

Last year, public programs accounted for 46 percent of all health spending.