In 1970, some 7.5 billion U.S. dollars were spent on the Medicare program in the United States. Fifty plus years later, this figure stood at 1,037 billion U.S. dollars. This statistic depicts total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023.
Medicare costs are forecasted to continue increasing over time, with outlays rising to a predicted 1.78 trillion U.S. dollars by 2031 as the population continues to age. Certain diseases of old age, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are increasing in prevalence in the U.S., which will reflect on healthcare costs for the elderly. In 2021, Alzheimer's disease was estimated to cost Medicare and Medicaid around 239 billion U.S. dollars in care costs; by 2050, this number is projected to climb to 798 billion dollars.
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Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)*
Characteristic
Total spending in billion U.S. dollars
2023**
1,037
2022**
905.1
2021
839.4
2020
925.8
2019
796.1
2018
740.7
2017
710.2
2016
678.7
2015
560.3
2014
613.3
2013
582.9
2012
574.2
2011
549.1
Created with Highcharts 7.2.2Total spending in billion U.S. dollars7.57.516.316.336.836.872.372.3111111184.2184.2221.8221.8336.4336.4522.9522.9549.1549.1574.2574.2582.9582.9613.3613.3560.3560.3678.7678.7710.2710.2740.7740.7796.1796.1925.8925.8839.4839.4905.1905.11,0371,037197019751980198519901995200020052010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022**2023**
02004006008001,0001,200
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**Includes (i) a transfer of $37.8 billion in calendar year 2020 from the general fund of the Treasury to Part B, which occurred in November of 2020 for the outstanding balance of the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments (AAP) Program, as required by the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2021 and Other Extensions Act, and (ii) subsequent recoveries from providers that were transferred from Part B to the general fund of the Treasury in the amounts of $14.3 billion, $21.7 billion, and $1.7 billion in calendar years 2021 through 2023, respectively.
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CMS. (May 6, 2024). Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 15, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/
CMS. "Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)*." Chart. May 6, 2024. Statista. Accessed July 15, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/
CMS. (2024). Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 15, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/
CMS. "Total Medicare Spending from 1970 to 2023 (in Billion U.S. Dollars)*." Statista, Statista Inc., 6 May 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/
CMS, Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/ (last visited July 15, 2025)
Total Medicare spending from 1970 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)* [Graph], CMS, May 6, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/248073/distribution-of-medicare-spending-by-service-type/
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