Health spending increased 2.7% in 2021, down sharply from the 10.3% increase in 2020. The slowdown in health spending growth was largely due to declines in federal government spending related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the Publication:
National Health Spending — 2023 Edition

Overall health spending by households grew by 6.1% in 2021, up from 1.2% in 2020 (not shown). Out-of-pocket health spending, the largest component of household spending, increased by 10.4%, driven by an acceleration in spending on most medical goods and services. The largest increases occurred in spending for durable medical equipment and dental care.

From the Publication:
National Health Spending — 2023 Edition

The impact of federal policy decisions and economic conditions can be seen in the acceleration and deceleration of health spending. For example, federal spending increased dramatically in 2020 as the federal government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and declined in 2021 as COVID-19-related spending was reduced.

From the Publication:
National Health Spending — 2023 Edition