The per capita costs of hospital and healthcare services covered by Medicare and commercial insurers continues to rise, as they increased 6.14 percent year-over-year ending April 2012, according to the Standard & Poor's Healthcare Economic Indices (pdf).
The Healthcare Economic Hospital Index annual growth rate increased from 5.44 percent in March to 5.81 percent in April. The Hospital Medicare Index was 2.04 percent, up from the 1.8 recorded in January, and the Hospital Commercial Index increased from 8.39 percent to 8.85 percent.
"All Healthcare Economic Indices' annual growth rates increased in April 2012 from what we published for March," said David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices, in a news release. "There is a clear upward trend across all annual growth rates, which began around October 2011, and we have now reached close to the top of the range of price changes established over the last few years."
The Healthcare Economic Hospital Index annual growth rate increased from 5.44 percent in March to 5.81 percent in April. The Hospital Medicare Index was 2.04 percent, up from the 1.8 recorded in January, and the Hospital Commercial Index increased from 8.39 percent to 8.85 percent.
"All Healthcare Economic Indices' annual growth rates increased in April 2012 from what we published for March," said David Blitzer, chairman of the Index Committee at S&P Indices, in a news release. "There is a clear upward trend across all annual growth rates, which began around October 2011, and we have now reached close to the top of the range of price changes established over the last few years."
More Articles on Healthcare Economic Indices:
S&P: Hospital Economic Indices Up Across the Board in February
S&P: Hospital Index Increases 5%
S&P: Hospital Costs From Patients Under Commercial Coverage, Medicare on The Rise