Overall hospital prices were 0.5 percent higher in April of this year than they were in the same month a year ago, and hospital prices increased 0.1 percent between March and April, according to figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The producer price index for general medical and surgical hospital was 0.3 percent higher this April than it was in April 2014.
The PPI for hospital measures "changes in actual or expected reimbursement received for services across the full range of payer types," according to the American Hospital Association. "This includes the negotiated contract rate from the payer plus any portion expected to be paid by the patient."
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