Overall healthcare prices increased 0.2 percent in March and were 2.9 percent higher than a year ago, according to data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
According to the BLS' Producer Price Indices, which measure average changes in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, overall hospital prices increased 0.3 percent in March and were 3.6 percent higher than a year ago. However, physician office prices actually fell 0.1 percent from February to March, although they were 2 percent higher than in March 2009.
This translates into actual or expected reimbursement for a sample of treatments or services.
The Producer Price Indices for hospitals and physician practices measure changes in actual or expected reimbursement received for services across the full range of payer types. This includes the negotiated contract rate from the payer plus any portion expected to be paid by the patient.