US marks four straight years of slowing health costs

President Barack Obama's health care law has divided the nation, but government experts are saying his first term produced historically low growth in health costs.

A report Monday from nonpartisan experts at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services concluded that 2012 was the fourth straight year the nation's health care tab grew at a more manageable pace—3.7 percent.

And the U.S. economy grew faster than health care, making it easier to pay the nation's medical bill.

America still spends a whole lot. Health care spending reached $2.8 trillion in 2012. That averages out to $8,915 for every man, woman and child.

While the White House sees vindication, it's too early to say if this is a lasting turnaround that Obama can claim as part of his legacy.