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Medical costs increase, but number of patients treated and services rendered remained stable
Total medical expenditures increased markedly between 1996-1997 and 2011-2012, but the number of individuals with visits during an average month and the total utilization of medical services were largely unchanged, according to research recently published in Annals of Family Medicine. Researchers noted that the majority of the cost increases were in specialty and hospital care and cost of medications, not primary care, which actually saw a decrease in utilization over the period studied.