Projected healthcare spending will rise steadily through 2017 with a projected annual growth rate of 6.7 percent.  The article projects that public-sector growth rates will outpace those for the private sector and that the health share gross will be 19.5 percent of the GDP by 2017. 

Keehan, S., Sisko, A., Truffer, C., Smith, S., Cowan, C., Poisal, J., et al. (2008). Health spending projections through 2017: the baby-boom generation is coming to Medicare. Health Affairs, 27(2): w145-55. 26 Feb. 2008. DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.27.2.w145. http://content.healthaffairs.org/cgi/content/abstract/hlthaff.27.2.w145v1 © 2008 by Project HOPE. 

Authors: Sean Keehan, Andrea Sisko, Christopher Truffer, Sheila Smith, Cathy Cowan, John Poisal, M. Kent Clemens