Fact-check · Nov 10, 2026 · Pete Hegseth
“Health care costs were rising”
TRUE
What the record shows
National health spending grew 7.3% in 2025 to $5.7 trillion (CMS); BLS CPI-Medical Care index rose 3.2% year-over-year through December 2025 and 1.5% through September 2026; ACA premiums increased 25.8% from 2025 to 2026.
Healthcare costs rose across all major metrics in recent years. National spending, insurance premiums, and medical care inflation all increased substantially.
Sources
- Healthcare cost hikes in 2026 may be only slightly lower than 2025, WTW says
- National Health Expenditures Continue to Rise-2026-08-06
- U.S. health care spending rises again, to top $6 trillion in 2026
- Health Care Costs Are Becoming Unsustainable
- Many Americans are worried about healthcare costs as midterms approach. Why do they keep rising? - ABC News
- Trends in health care spending
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