On February 4, 2010, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its health spending projections for 2009, estimating that growth in U.S. national health expenditures (NHE) increased 5.7%, compared to 4.4% in 2008. This 2009 growth rate exceeded the growth in the gross domestic product (-1.1%) and brought total national health spending to $2.5 trillion, or 17.3% of the GDP (compared to 16.2% in 2008). The increasing rate of spending is attributable in part to faster growth in Medicaid spending (9.9% compared to 4.7% in 2008), as the recession resulted in increased Medicaid enrollment.  According to CMS, the NHE growth is expected to decelerate in 2010 to 3.9%, but much of this projected slowdown is attributable to the 21.2% reduction in Medicare physician payment rates scheduled to go into effect in March 2010 — but which Congress is expected to mitigate through legislation (as discussed above). If, on the other hand, physician payment rates are held at 2009 levels, total health spending is projected to grow 4.7%. By 2019, national health spending is expected to reach $4.5 trillion and comprise 19.3% of GDP.