Rapid fall in health care cost growth provides large budget cushion: Medicare spending as a percent of GDP, 2007 projection vs. actual, 2006–2017

2007 Projection Actual
2006 2.70% 2.72%
2007 2.96% 3.01%
2008 3.05% 3.10%
2009 3.31% 3.47%
2010 3.39% 3.48%
2011 3.59% 3.61%
2012 3.49% 3.41%
2013 3.73% 3.51%
2014 3.84% 3.45%
2015 3.99% 3.52%
2016 4.39% 3.79%
2017 4.46% 3.71%

Source: Author's analysis ofCongressional  Budget Office data (2007; 2016a)

View the underlying data on epi.org.