The Producer Price Index for acute-care hospitals declined by 0.1% last month after two flat months, preliminary federal data show.
The inflation measure tracks the change in reimbursement to hospitals and other providers. Figures for the most recent four months are preliminary and may be revised.
Through the first six months of this year, the average monthly change to the acute-care hospital Producer Price Index is 0.0%, continuing a slowdown in recent years. The acute-care hospital Producer Price Index average monthly growth has decelerated in the past decade from an average monthly increase of 0.4% in 2004 to 0.1% last year.
For the year that ended in June, the index for acute-care hospitals increased 1.8%, identical to the change the prior year.
Physician office prices were flat last month, down from plus 0.1% the prior month and from 0.2% the same month the prior year. For the 12 months that ended in June, physician office prices increased 0.5% compared with 0.3% the prior year.
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