MASSDEVICE ON CALL — U.S. healthcare spending has slowed in recent years thanks to a sluggish economy, but that’s scheduled to change once more provisions of President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act take effect in 2014, should the bill survive the Supreme Court.

Federal economists projected a steep incline in healthcare spending should the ACA programs be affirmed, but would otherwise remain historically low otherwise.

Most of the spending increases would relate to routine care, such as doctor’s visits and drug prescriptions, as the largest group of newly insured individuals will be younger, healthier patients, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The Supreme Court is slated this month to submit its final decision on the Constitutionality of the health care form law.

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