The acute-care hospital Producer Price Index edged upward 0.1% in the first month of the year after a dip of 0.2% the prior month, according to preliminary figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The agency captures reimbursement rates paid to hospitals in its Producer Price Index. In January 2012, the PPI for acute-care hospitals increased 0.4%.
For the year that ended in January, the acute-care hospital PPI increased 1.8%, the preliminary figures show, compared with 2.8% for the prior 12 months.
The physician-office Producer Price Index increased 0.4% in January following a more modest gain of 0.1% in December, the preliminary BLS data show. In January 2012, the PPI for physician offices increased 0.5%.
Physician office prices increased 0.8% for the year that ended in January, compared with the 1.9% increase the prior year.
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