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Healthier and Wealthier: Decreasing Health Care Costs by Increasing Educational Attainment

Muennig, Peter A.

In the past, states spent more on K–12 education than on any other budget item. However, in recent years, rising medical costs have changed this pattern; in 2003, health care expenses surpassed education as the largest item in states’ budgets. In fiscal year 2006, Medicaid alone is estimated to account for approximately 22 percent of total state spending, while all health care costs will account for about 32 percent of states’ expenditures (National Governors Association & National Association of State Budget Officers, 2006). These costs keep going up, and absent some drastic change, there is every indication that they will continue to outpace most states’ economic growth (Pew Research Center, 2006).

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Publisher
Alliance for Excellent Education
Published Here
November 14, 2016