Few things are more certain in American life than the rising cost of healthcare. In 1969, only 6.4 percent of GDP was spent on healthcare, according to the federal government. In 2019, that figure was 17.7 percent of GDP. Healthcare spending in October 2021 (the most recent month for which data is available) reached 23.9 percent of GDP.

And so while it is a likely bet that costs will continue to rise in 2022, nothing is normal during the pandemic. Cost projections are being made under uncertain conditions due to unexpected Covid-19 surges, unknown long-term impacts of the coronavirus on infected individuals, potential downstream effects of delayed and avoided care, and the ongoing labor shortages in the healthcare sector.