USA invested $139 billion in health research in 2009

The USA invested $139 billion last year in health research from all public and private sources, according to Washington DC-based Research!America’s latest annual estimate. That amount represents only 5.6% of the $2,470 billion overall US health spending in 2009-or 5.6 cents of every health dollar-which varies no more than 0.2% from 2005 levels.

The 2009 investment grew by only 0.1% over 2008. This small increase can be attributed largely to the federal stimulus funding for research provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Federal research investment was nearly $46.8 billion in 2009, up from $38.6 billion in 2008.

“America’s economic destiny lies in innovation, but other countries are stepping up, investing more and thus challenging our lead,” said former Congressman John Edward Porter, Research!America’s chairman, adding: “We need to invest in our federal research agencies for the long term. Our economic competitiveness and our future standard of living depend on it.”