Washington ? Health care spending in the United States surged to $1.6 trillion in 2002 — about $5,440 for every American — and outpaced growth in the rest of the economy for a fourth straight year.

Hospital spending and prescription drug costs fueled the 9.3 percent increase over 2001, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday.

“This continued acceleration injects pressure into the health care system, and everyone — from businesses, to government, to consumers — is affected,” Katharine Levit, a CMS official and the lead author of the report, said at a news conference.

Early indications, however, are that growth in spending slowed in 2003, according to the report, published in the journal Health Affairs.

“We are expecting some slowdown to occur … as a result of the economic slowdown,” Levit said.

The annual report analyzes spending trends in the public and private health care sectors.

The United States spends more per person than any other developed nation, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. For 2001, this country spent 47 percent more per person than Switzerland, the second biggest spender per capita.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said the report was evidence of “the need for prompt action in controlling the costs of health care.” He faulted the Bush administration for failing to act. The Health and Human Services Department, which oversees CMS, did not immediately provide a response.