Tag: "inflation"

CPI: Medical Prices Resume Upward March

BLSDue to vacation, I did not discuss June’s release of the Consumer Price Index for May, in which medical care prices were very moderate. This continued that which was observed in May (for the April CPI).

Unfortunately, prices for medical care resumed their upward march in the June CPI, released today. At 0.4 percent, prices for medical care increased twice as fast as the CPI for all items. Price changes for medical care contributed 16 percent of the price change for all items. Prescription drug prices, especially, resumed their increase. Prices for medical care services, on the other hand, were in line with the CPI for all items.

Over the last twelve months, prices for medical care have increased over four times faster than prices for all items other than medical care. Medical care price increases have contributed almost one third (29 percent) to the price increase of one percent for all items. Claims that consumers have experienced relief from medical prices are simply not grounded in data.

(See Table I below the fold.)

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Jul 15, 2016 | Leave a Comment | by

PPI: Health Prices Remain Tame

BLSAlthough 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 health services were either flat or down in June. Similarly, price changes of health services for final demand were all lower than price changes for final demand services overall. The same was true for both goods and services for intermediate demand.

For the last 12 months, prices of health goods and services (especially pharmaceutical preparations) have increased significantly more than prices of other goods and services, but the trend of disproportionately high health price increases might be breaking down.

(See Table I below the fold.)

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Jul 14, 2016 | Leave a Comment | by

CPI: Medical Inflation Finally Under Control

BLSThe Consumer Price Index (CPI) for April confirmed medical inflation is matching the broad measure of price changes. For the second month, price changes for medical care (0.3 percent) were in line with all-items (0.4 percent). Although, it looks like a jump in energy prices drove the CPI up. If energy price increases moderate, we can expect prices for medical care to increase faster than CPI.

With respect to medical commodities, it prices of prescription drugs continued to increase faster than other medical commodities or commodities over all. Although, pharmaceutical price hikes in the CPI are not as big as in the Producer Price Index. Prices for many health goods and services actually dropped.

However, over the last twelve months, medical prices faced by consumers have grown much faster than non-health prices: 3.0 percent versus 1. percent. Prescription prices increased 4.0 percent, as did prices for inpatient hospital services. Health insurance increased 5.8 percent.

(See Table I below the fold.)

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May 17, 2016 | 1 comment | by

PPI: Pharma Price Hikes Continue To Stand Out

BLSThe 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 prices rose 0.1 percent (or 0.3 percent, less trade, transportation, and warehousing), prices of medical services changed similarly. However, prices for health insurance jumped 0.8 percent.

With respect to goods for intermediate demand, which dropped 0.3 percent, price increases for biologics, including diagnostics, stood out at 2.5 percent. With respect to services for intermediate demand, which rose 0.1 percent, prices for health insurance jumped 0.8 percent

Looking back over the 12-month period, the price increase of 10.4 percent for pharmaceutical preparations continues to stand out like a sore thumb. Political agitation against drug prices is unlikely to go away soon. Health insurance, having risen 1.7 percent in a flat or negative inflationary environment, is also beginning to stand out. (See Table I below the fold.)

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May 13, 2016 | 3 comments | by

CPI: Most Medical Price Hikes Stall

BLSThe 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 other items. Prices for many health goods and services actually dropped.

However, over the last twelve months, medical prices faced by consumers have grown much faster than non-health prices: 3.3 percent versus 0.6 percent. Prescription prices increased 3.4 percent. However, inpatient hospital services and health insurance prices increased much faster, by 5.9 percent and 6.0 percent.

When we compare the medical components of the CPI with those in the Producer Price Index, it appears that hospitals, not drug makers, are shifting more prices directly onto consumers.

(See Table I Below the fold.)

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Apr 15, 2016 | Leave a Comment | by

PPI: Pharmaceutical Prices Up Amid Deflation

BLSDeflation 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 increased 0.4 percent.

With respect to final demand services, for which prices dropped 0.2 percent (or increased just 0.1 percent, less trade, transportation, and warehousing), prices of medical services changed little. Even the price of health insurance remained flat, after an increase in February.

With respect to goods for intermediate demand, prices for chemicals (which go into pharmaceutical preparations) increased by just 0.1 percent, while prices of biologic products (including diagnostics) dropped the same percentage. With respect to services for intermediate demand, prices for health insurance remained flat, although prices for other intermediate services declined.

Looking back over the 12-month period, the price increase of 9.8 percent in pharmaceutical preparations continues to stand out like a sore thumb. Political agitation against drug prices is unlikely to go away soon. (See Table I below the fold.)

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Apr 14, 2016 | Leave a Comment | by

CPI: Health Insurance Premiums Jump Amid General Deflation

BLSThis morning’s Consumer Price Index corroborates yesterday’s Producer Price Index, which indicated health insurance and certain other health prices increased in a generally deflationary environment. While the CPI for all items dropped 0.2 percent in February, health insurance increased 1.3 percent. Over the last twelve months, CPI has increased just 1.0 percent, while health insurance has increased 6.0 percent.

Prescription drugs continue to stand out, as well, having increased 0.9 percent last month and 3.4 percent over twelve months. However, the increase in prescription prices alone cannot explain the health insurance premium hikes.

Inpatient hospitals services also stand out, having increased 0.6 percent last month and 4.8 percent in the last twelve months. Outpatient services are only slightly better.

February’s CPI confirms that, while nominal increases in health prices are moderate, real price increases are quite high, because we are in a generally deflationary environment.

(See Table I below the fold.)

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Mar 16, 2016 | 12 comments | by

PPI: Health Insurance Jumps, Deflation Returns

BLSDeflation returned to the Producer Price Index (PPI) last month, as the PPI for final demand dropped 0.2 percent from January. Prices for final demand goods, less volatile food and energy, increased 0.1 percent. Most prices for health goods for final demand were flat. The exception – again – was pharmaceutical preparations, for which prices increased 1.2 percent.

With respect to final demand services, for which inflation was flat (or up 0.3 percent less trade, transportation, and warehousing), the increase in the price of health insurance stands out at 0.9 percent. This is the first jump in health insurance for a while. (Home health prices also increased 1 percent, but such increases have been common.)

With respect to goods for intermediate demand, prices for chemicals (which go into pharmaceutical preparations) decreased, but not by nearly as much as prices for other intermediate goods declined. With respect to services for intermediate demand, prices for health insurance increased by 0.9 percent, significantly more than prices for other intermediate services.

Looking back over the 12-month period, the price increase of 10.1 percent in pharmaceutical preparations continues to stand out like a sore thumb. However prices for services delivered in residential settings have also increased more than other services.

What is new for February is the increase in health insurance. Increasing health costs are finally being passed on through premiums. (See Table I below the fold.)

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Mar 15, 2016 | 1 comment | by

CPI: Health Insurance Premiums Jump

BLSThis morning’s Consumer Price Index showed a significant jump of 1.1 percent in health insurance premiums in January, versus a flat CPI for all items and a 0.3 percent rise in CPI for all items less food and energy. Prices for physician services increased only 0.1 percent, less than prices for other services.

This corroborates the Producer Price Index, which showed a slight decrease in physician prices. However, the divergence in price increases for prescription drugs in the CPI and PPI is continuing. Prescription prices in the CPI increased by only 0.5 percent, in line with medical care overall.

Over the last twelve months, prices for medical care still increased a little more than twice as fast as the CPI for all items, and 0.7 percentage points more than the CPI for all items less food and energy. Relatively speaking, medical inflation is not as tame as some others suggest.

Further, over the past twelve months, price increases for health insurance and hospital services stand out significantly more than price increases for prescription drugs. (See Table I below the fold.)

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Feb 19, 2016 | 1 comment | by

PPI: Physician Prices Pull Back

BLSDecember’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 line with other services inflation.

For final demand goods, prices for pharmaceutical preparations increased 1.6 percent, versus zero change for final demand goods less food and energy. (When the next Consumer Price Index is released on February 19, we will see whether the divergence between pharmaceutical prices in the PPI and CPI continues.) With respect to intermediate demand goods, prices of biologics, including diagnostics, increased 1.1 percent, versus a 1.3 percent decline in prices of processed goods, less foods and feeds.

It does not look like complaints about high and increasing prices for pharmaceuticals and biologics will be going away soon. (See Table I below the fold.)

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Feb 17, 2016 | 2 comments | by
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