Overall hospital prices increased 0.1 percent in March and were 2.1 percent higher than a year ago, according to a federal Bureau of Labor Statistics report this week.
The BLS' Producer Price Indices, which measure average changes in selling prices received by domestic producers for their output, indicated that prices at general medical and surgical hospitals increased 0.2 percent and were 2.2 percent higher than in March 2008.
For hospitals, the PPI data translates into actual or expected reimbursement for a sample of treatments or services.
The PPI for hospitals 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.