Broker Regulation

Estimates of U.S. health care spending for the next five years have been lowered by two federal agencies, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is getting much of the credit.

The HealthCare.gov website that had an error-plagued debut last year was hacked in July, although no personal data appear to have been taken, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

From 1990 to 2008, health care spending growth outpaced the GDP by an average of 2 percent per year.

The full U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington will rehear a case on PPACA tax subsidies, a move that may reduce the chances of a new Supreme Court showdown over a central element of the law.

CMS expects the increased spending to continue for the foreseeable future, as PPACAs slow implementation spreads.

Soon will come the time for all those found to be ineligible for subsidies to repay the government.