"NHE [National Health Expenditures] increased by 3.9 percent in 2017 to $3.5 trillion or $10,739 per capita. This growth rate is lower than what was observed in 2016 (4.8 percent) and 2015 (5.8 percent). After a period of relatively fast growth in 2014 and 2015 during the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), 2017 was characterized by slower growth that continued from 2016. In fact, growth in 2017 was similar to the 3.7 percent average annual rate of the 5-year period ending in 2013. These growth rates are the lowest since the early 1960s when health spending was first…