Health care spending to increase by 6.8 percent in 2015

PricewaterhouseCooper's Health Research Institute recently reported that it projects total health care spending will increase by 6.8 percent in the U.S. after a five-year stagnant spending period, US News reported.

Many experts are debating whether health care reform associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is letting the U.S. spend more in healthcare coverage, medication and treatments, Modern Healthcare reported.

While the ACA could have had a part, the improving economy, growing costs of specific medications and consumer buying confidence have all helped the total spending numbers grow in the nation, the source said.

"The improvement in the economy is finally coming to health care," said Ceci Connolly, the managing director of the Health Research Institute, according to Modern Healthcare. "It's a lag, but it's a very direct relationship."

High-deductible plans are also increasing since nearly 25 percent of workers are currently in them, which is a more than 200 percent increase from just six years ago, the PwC research explained.

Not only are more workers getting in high-deductible plans, but PwC's survey showed that 4 percent of employers plan on only offering high-deductible plans to their workers in the near future.