Is the United States finally controlling health spending?

Few issues loom larger in the economic outlook. For years, spiraling health costs — mainly for Medicare and Medicaid, which serve the elderly and the poor — have consumed a growing share of the federal budget. Meanwhile, rapid increases in premiums for employer-provided insurance have squeezed take-home pay.

So it's good news that, for the third straight year, health spending rose modestly in 2011. To some analysts, this signals a new era of cost containment. Well, maybe — and maybe not. Let's examine the numbers, then what they mean.