Growth in Medical Spending by the Department of Defense

From FY 1988 to 2003, the Dept. of Defense's (DoD's) spending on medical care almost doubled in real terms. That growth occurred despite large reductions in the size of the active-duty military force & a substantial reduction in the size of the military's own hospital system. This study examines the reasons for those increases & considers directions for the future. Already, DoD's total spending on health care is more than half as large as its cash compensation. Looking forward, this analysis examines how overall growth of health care costs in the economy could affect DoD's health care costs through 2020, as well as how changes in benefits could do so. This study makes no recommendations. Charts, tables & graphs.Holtz-Eakin, Douglas is the author of 'Growth in Medical Spending by the Department of Defense', published 2003 under ISBN 9780756738822 and ISBN 0756738822.