Refining estimates of public health spending as measured in national health expenditures accounts: the United States experience.

Providing for the delivery of public health services and understanding the funding mechanisms for these services are topics of great currency in the United States. In 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was created and the responsibility for providing public health services was realigned among federal agencies. State and local public health agencies are under increased financial pressures even as they shoulder more responsibilities as the vital first link in the provision of public health services.

Improved estimates of capital formation in the National Health Expenditure Accounts.

The National Health Expenditure Accounts (NHEA) were revised with the release of the 2004 estimates. The largest revision was the incorporation of a more comprehensive measure of investment in medical sector capital. The revision raised total health expenditures' share of gross domestic product (GDP) from 15.

Health Care Indicators.

This regular feature of the journal includes a discussion of recent trends in health care delivery, employment, and prices. The statistics presented in this article are valuable in their own right for understanding the relationship between the health care sector and the overall economy. In addition, they allow us to anticipate the direction and magnitude of health care cost changes prior to the availability of more comprehensive data.

Health Care Indicators.

THIS REGULAR FEATURE OF THE JOURNAL INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR TOPICS: community hospital statistics; employment, hours, and earnings in the private health sector; health care prices; and national economic indicators. These statistics are valuable in their own right for understanding the relationship between the health care sector and the overall economy. In addition, they allow us to anticipate the direction and magnitude of health care cost changes prior to the availability of more comprehensive data.

Health Care Indicators.

THIS REGULAR FEATURE OF THE JOURNAL INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR TOPICS: community hospital statistics; employment, hours, and earnings in the private health sector; health care prices; and national economic indicators. These statistics are valuable in their own right for understanding the relationship between the health care sector and the overall economy. In addition, they allow us to anticipate the direction and magnitude of health care cost changes prior to the availability of more comprehensive data.

Health Care Indicators.

THIS REGULAR FEATURE OF THE JOURNAL INCLUDES A DISCUSSION OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FOUR TOPICS: community hospital statistics; employment, hours, and earnings in the private health sector; health care prices; and national economic indicators. These statistics are valuable in their own right for understanding the relationship between the health care sector and the overall economy. In addition, they allow us to anticipate the direction and magnitude of health care cost changes prior to the availability of more comprehensive data.