Annual healthcare spending on children and adolescents 19 and younger increased from $149.6 billion in 1996 to $233.5 billion in 2013, according to a new study.
The study was published Dec. 27 in JAMA Pediatrics.
For the study, researchers create healthcare spending estimates based upon information in the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Disease Expenditure 2013 project database. The database consists of 2.9 billion patient records extracted from 183 data sources. Healthcare spending estimates were adjusted for the presence of comorbidities and are reported using inflation-adjusted 2015 U.S. dollars.
Researchers found that the largest health condition leading to healthcare spending for children in 2013 was well-newborn care in the inpatient setting. That was followed by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and well-dental care (including dental checkups and orthodontia), according to the study.
Additionally, the study found, spending on infants younger than 1 year was the largest portion of spending on children's personal healthcare in 2013.
Over time, healthcare spending per child increased from $1,915 in 1996 to $2,777 in 2013, the study found.
"These findings provide health policy makers and healthcare professionals with evidence to help guide future spending," they concluded. "Some conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and inpatient well-newborn care, had larger healthcare spending growth rates than other conditions."
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