01 Dec Care Deferrals, Digital Tools Will Shape 2022 Medical Cost Trend

Source: Private Payer News

The coronavirus pandemic is expected to continue exerting pressure on healthcare spending in 2022, with experts projecting a medical cost trend of 6.5 percent.

The medical cost trend for 2022 may not be as high as expected, but it is still higher than the trend from the past few years with the exception of 2021, the PwC Health Research Institute found in its annual medical cost trend report.

The projection for 2022 is a 6.5 percent medical cost trend. In 2021, the trend is expected to hit 7.0 percent.

Prior to 2021, the most recent year that the medical cost trend reached or exceeded 6.5 percent was in 2015 when the medical cost trend was 6.8 percent.

The PwC report outlined three major causes for increased healthcare spending and two trends that are producing downward pressure on spending.

The first factor driving healthcare spending upward is the impact of deferred care during the coronavirus pandemic.

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