Hospital Spending Accounted for 40% of the Growth in National Health Spending Between 2022 and 2024 Authors: Jamie Godwin, Zachary Levinson, and Tricia Neuman Published: Feb 11, 2026

https://www.kff.org/health-costs/hospital-spending-accounted-for-40-of-the-growth-in-national-health-spending-between-2022-and-2024/?utm_campaign=KFF%3A%20Health%20Costs&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--DNbD2OTFGedSdpjT_MfNti_5yVbjUxtqogTGs0a1NcXNlbwuJUzzdTYZ597qGkWIFmjwVGzWZjsiJmRkXBECA0Mwtlw&_hsmi=403219180&utm_content=403219180&utm_source=hs_email KFF Examines Role of Hospital Spending in Growth of National Health Expenditures Hospital spending accounts for nearly a third of the nation’s total health expenditures but accounted for an even larger share (40%) of the growth in spending between 2022 and 2024, a new KFF analysis finds. Over the two-year period, hospital spending grew by $277 billion to reach $1.6 trillion in 2024, making it by far the largest category of spending in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ National Healthcare Expenditure estimates. It grew more quickly (20%) than total health spending (15%) over the two-year period.