Ohio Business Roundtable releases health care spending analysis

According to a "diagnostic" of Ohio's health care industry by the Ohio Business Roundtable, the state's health care system consumes about $89 billion a year and is growing at a rate of 6% to 9% annually. (Source: Gongwer Report, Jan. 28, 2008.) "That dollar amount, which accounts for all the money consumers, employers, and taxpayers spend on health care products and services, represents about 16% of Gross State Product." According to Business Roundtable President Richard Stoff, if left unchanged spending on health care in Ohio will grow to about $200 billion by 2018.