Survey: Medicaid spending growth 'near record low' in 2012

Medicaid spending has grown at a "near record low" in 2012, according to an annual survey of states released this week by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Source: "Medicaid spending up only 2%," Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 1, 2012)

Total Medicaid spending increased 2 percent on average across all states this year, down from 9.7 percent the year before. According to Kaiser, it was “among the lowest rates of spending growth ever recorded,” noting that the rate was only lower in 2006, when spending grew by 1.3 percent. 

Enrollment in Medicaid grew 3.2 percent this year, compared to a 4.4 percent increase last year.

The report includes a case study on Ohio's efforts to reign in Medicaid spending. Ohio is one of four states highlighted in the report.