Altarum: Health sector jobs surge; hospital price growth at 16-year low

The health sector added 127,000 jobs in the three months ending in January, the largest quarterly increase in at least 25 years, according to the latest economic indicators from Altarum Institute's Center for Sustainable Health Spending. January job growth was particularly strong in hospitals (9,600) and physicians’ offices (13,400). Health care prices in December were 1.8% higher than a year ago, the center said. That includes a 6.4% increase in prescription drug prices, the largest since 1992. Year-over-year hospital prices grew 0.9%, the lowest rate in more than 16 years. Preliminary estimates indicate that national health spending grew by 5.0% in 2014, with prescription drugs showing the largest increase (13%), the center said.