Although I did not discuss June’s release of the Producer Price Index (PPI) for May at this blog (due to vacation), prices of pharmaceutical preparations did not increase at all. Similarly, they remained flat in today’s PPI release for June. Prices for final demand goods (less food and energy), and prices for all final demand … Continue reading PPI: Health Prices Remain Tame
The Producer Price Index (PPI) for final demand goods grew 0.2 percent last month, or 0.3 percent less food and energy. Prices for pharmaceutical preparations and most medical devices grew significantly faster, at 1.0 percent and 0.5 percent, although prices for X-Ray and similar equipment were flat. With respect to final demand services, for which … Continue reading PPI: Pharma Price Hikes Continue To Stand Out
The Consumer Price Index for March indicates that medical price inflation matched changes in other prices charged to consumers, with a slight uptick of 0.1 percent. Prescription drugs (0.5 percent increase), nursing homes and adult day care, eyeglasses, and health insurance (all with 0.4 percent increases) stood out as continuing to experience higher inflation than … Continue reading CPI: Most Medical Price Hikes Stall
Deflation in the Producer Price Index (PPI) continued last month, as the PPI for final demand dropped 0.1 percent from February. Prices for final demand goods, less volatile food and energy, increased 0.2 percent. Most prices for health goods for final demand were flat. The exception – again – was pharmaceutical preparations, for which prices … Continue reading PPI: Pharmaceutical Prices Up Amid Deflation
December’s surprising jump in physician prices looks to have been idiosyncratic. January’s Producer Price Index for physician services declined 0.6 percent, versus a 0.5 percent rise in prices of final demand services. Prices for home health and hospice care increased 0.7 percent on the month. However, other prices for final demand health services were in … Continue reading PPI: Physician Prices Pull Back
Medical prices grew 0.1 percent, versus a decrease of 0.1 percent for all other items, in December’s Consumer Price Index. Prices for prescription drugs actually decreased 0.3 percent, even better than the small price increase in the Producer Price Index (PPI). Prices for physicians’ services were flat, however, whereas they had jumped in the PPI. … Continue reading CPI: Prescription Prices Finally Drop Amid General Deflation
The stock market took a hit this morning, as the Producer Price Index turned back to deflation, dropping 0.2 percent in December and 0.1 percent in 2015 (Table I). Health prices are still growing faster than other prices. This is especially true for pharmaceuticals, for which prices increased 8.2 percent last year, versus a 3.7 … Continue reading PPI: Physician Prices Jump Amidst Deflation
November’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates health prices are moderating, though still increasing higher than non-heath consumer goods. In the third piece of bad news for hospitals (from their perspective, at least, after the Quarterly Services Survey and the Producer Price Index), prices for hospital services actually dropped (See Table I).
November’s Producer Price Index (PPI) finally saw a slowdown in pharmaceutical price increases, which increased 0.3 percent, month on month. This was the same as the overall PPI increase. Price increases for health goods and services were very slight, compared to general PPI. Indeed, two categories (X-Ray & electromedical equipment and biological products including diagnostics) … Continue reading PPI: Pharmaceutical Prices Finally Tame In November
October’s Producer Price Index declined 0.4 percent, month on month, and dropped 1.6 percent, year on year. Mild deflation continues to take hold in the general economy. However, it is not so in health care. Of the 14 sub-indices for health-related goods and services, only three declined month on month. Only six declined year on … Continue reading PPI: Health Prices Continue to Rise Faster Than Others