Health Care Prices Show Slight Increase

Julie Ritzer Ross | | Radiology Business | Business Intelligence
Overall U.S. health care prices showed a slight, steady increase in June, rising by 0.1%, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The agency’s Producer Price Indices (PPI), which measure average changes in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, peg prices across the range of health care industries at 1.7% higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, prices received in physicians’ offices remained flat for the period spanning May through June. Hospital prices rose by 0.2%. Other health care sectors showed mixed PPI results. Prices received by home healthcare services dropped by 0.1% from May through June, as did prices in the medical and diagnostic laboratory sector. By contrast, the PPI for blood and organ banks increased by 0.3%, while the PPI at nursing care facilities was up by 01%. Overall hospital prices were 1.7% higher in June than a year ago, while physician office prices were 1.2% higher. To read the press release, click here: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ppi.pdf

Julie Ritzer Ross,

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