Health affairs
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Comparative Study
Trends in health care spending for immigrants in the United States.
The suspected burden that undocumented immigrants may place on the U. S. health care system has been a flashpoint in health care and immigration reform debates. ⋯ However, noncitizen immigrants were found to be more likely than U. S. natives to have a health care visit classified as uncompensated care.
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The economic recession and rising unemployment-plus changing demographics and baby boomers aging into Medicare-are among the factors expected to influence health spending during 2009-2019. In 2009 the health share of gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to have increased 1.1 percentage points to 17.3 percent-the largest single-year increase since 1960. ⋯ As a result, public spending is projected to account for more than half of all U. S. health care spending by 2012.